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

[TattleTeeny]

8 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

Good news. I have a friend who just adopted a paralyzed-from-the-waist-down kitten. She said she may be interested in the spare cat tree parts to make him a modified tree that he could safely use. That would be so cool if she actually takes them and does that with them. 

Oh, my heart hurts--how sweet!

Quote

 

So what was the second number?  We have a Verizon Jetpack (wireless hotspot), and it has a phone number assigned to it that doesn't do anything.  Maybe tablets have the same thing?

And thus ends my knowledge of wireless devices.

 

Oooh, sorry! I just saw this now! It was actually a number assigned to the free tablet I got with the phone a million years ago. Who knew? Not me, that's for sure. That thing hasn't been turned on since, like, 2013!

Edited December 7, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[DeLurker]

Every post I've liked this morning generates the message "You are not allowed to like a post by this poster".  But it adds a like to their total anyway.

Am I on everyone's shit list?

[Mindthinkr]

9 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Every post I've liked this morning generates the message "You are not allowed to like a post by this poster".  But it adds a like to their total anyway.

Am I on everyone's shit list?

I've had that happen too. Walnut Queen explained how the glitch happens. I can't find her note to copy/paste and explain to you how it happens  

You have never been on my sh#t list. 

[auntlada]

12 hours ago, Moose135 said:

Actually, capital is the city, capitol is the building.  As in "Congress meets in the Capitol, which is located in the capital, Washington, DC."

Beat me to it. I looked it up on my AP online style guide first, just to make sure I was right. You beat me to it even before that, though. 

Also, there's nothing like a post about grammar to make you make random spelling errors.

I used to forget the difference in capitol/capital until a fellow reporter at my first job told me to remember capitol as the building because its rotunda was round like the o.

Edited December 7, 2017 by auntlada

[AgentRXS]

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

Every post I've liked this morning generates the message "You are not allowed to like a post by this poster".  But it adds a like to their total anyway.

Am I on everyone's shit list?

I'm not Walnut Queen (unfortunately) but I know that it happens to me if my computer takes too long to process my "like" and I end up double-clicking on the heart.

[Mindthinkr]

3 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I'm not Walnut Queen (unfortunately) but I know that it happens to me if my computer takes too long to process my "like" and I end up double-clicking on the heart.

You are every bit as wonderful as Walnut Queen. Don't sell yourself short. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

5 minutes ago, AgentRXS said:

I'm not Walnut Queen (unfortunately) but I know that it happens to me if my computer takes too long to process my "like" and I end up double-clicking on the heart.

And also if your browser is..."churning" or if other people are liking the same post at the same time.

[AgentRXS]

2 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

You are every bit as wonderful as Walnut Queen. Don't sell yourself short. 

@Mindthinkr I could only dream of owning a house and having a plethora of critters to feed in my backyard. Unfortunately, I live in an area where even a house in poor condition in a bad neighborhood or a shoebox goes for no less than $150,000. Average homes in good neighborhoods are in $400k-$600k range. Not affordable for a single, working-class gal such as I.

So that leads to lack of affordable housing as a major peeve. They keep destroying wildlife habitats to build new homes, and almost all of them are catered to the rich or at least upper-middle-class: "Luxury homes starting at $800k!". So many people down here are just waiting for the housing market to crash again so they can afford to buy a place. I have a feeling we will all be waiting awhile, though.

[Mindthinkr]

@AgentRXS Oh I agree that it would be heavenly to live like Walnut Queen does and have made friends with a plethora of wild critters. I envy her having generations of them that trust her (not a bad, mean or malicious envy) and watching them feed must be cute as all get out. 

I agree with you too, that the housing market has become unfair to the people that work the hardest. I hate driving the roads around here sometimes because there are so many roadkills and it's because we displaced them from their homes. I live with wild critters because they were here first and refused to leave. Rosie, the neighborhood deer, empties my bird feeder a few times a week. I'm amused by it. My next door neighbors have installed an elaborate motion activated high PSI spray to jet them if they go near their property (just mean). I am just learning what I can plant that they don't like to eat and for the stuff that they do...oh well. Every city ought to have affordable options so not everyone is on the rental-go-round. 

If I win the lottery I'll send you a fat down payment. You do a pretty much thankless job and should be able to go home to a comfortable house that will never be ripped out from under you (well as much as possible due to hurricanes anyway). I was in your cities Springs area (N of the airport) and was astounded at the prices. 

[walnutqueen]

2 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

@Mindthinkr I could only dream of owning a house and having a plethora of critters to feed in my backyard. Unfortunately, I live in an area where even a house in poor condition in a bad neighborhood or a shoebox goes for no less than $150,000. Average homes in good neighborhoods are in $400k-$600k range. Not affordable for a single, working-class gal such as I.

So that leads to lack of affordable housing as a major peeve. They keep destroying wildlife habitats to build new homes, and almost all of them are catered to the rich or at least upper-middle-class: "Luxury homes starting at $800k!". So many people down here are just waiting for the housing market to crash again so they can afford to buy a place. I have a feeling we will all be waiting awhile, though.

 

1 hour ago, Mindthinkr said:

@AgentRXS Oh I agree that it would be heavenly to live like Walnut Queen does and have made friends with a plethora of wild critters. I envy her having generations of them that trust her (not a bad, mean or malicious envy) and watching them feed must be cute as all get out. 

I agree with you too, that the housing market has become unfair to the people that work the hardest. I hate driving the roads around here sometimes because there are so many roadkills and it's because we displaced them from their homes. I live with wild critters because they were here first and refused to leave. Rosie, the neighborhood deer, empties my bird feeder a few times a week. I'm amused by it. My next door neighbors have installed an elaborate motion activated high PSI spray to jet them if they go near their property (just mean). I am just learning what I can plant that they don't like to eat and for the stuff that they do...oh well. Every city ought to have affordable options so not everyone is on the rental-go-round. 

If I win the lottery I'll send you a fat down payment. You do a pretty much thankless job and should be able to go home to a comfortable house that will never be ripped out from under you (well as much as possible due to hurricanes anyway). I was in your cities Springs area (N of the airport) and was astounded at the prices. 

The only reason I have this old dump is because I bought it back in the 80s, and got a great refinance rate the third time I did it.  I do love the area, but this is a tract home in need of a plethora of improvements, from plumbing to electrical to roof; none of which I can afford.  The backyard is a paradise for the critters but an overgrown impenetrable jungle, with falling down fences & a swampy mess at the bottom of the former pool.  Before my arms stopped working, I rook pride in this place - now I'm just proud of living in a dump.

I wish I had an animal-loving heir like you, @AgentRXS.  I don't think my niece would have any interest in taking over this place & my critters, should something happen to me.

Lots of companies are offering cash to buy homes in this area "As Is" - the real estate market is crazy, and I don't know how working folks can ever manage to get into even a starter home.  

[peacheslatour]

I feel you walnutqueen. We live in Seattle and housing prices here are off the charts. We bought our house in the 80's too and own it free and clear. If we were to sell it now, even as a tear down (which it totally is) we would get a lot of money but where would we go? We'd have to move out to the boonies and we both need to be near hospitals. So my DH puts a ton of work in on this old house and we keep our fingers crossed that nothing he can't fix happens. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

I have a friend in Austin who recently sold his house as a tear-down for over $800,000.  Unbelievable.

[ChiCricket]

On 11/30/2017 at 7:12 PM, bilgistic said:

I haven't ironed in probably 20 years. If it needs ironing, it's too fancy for me.

It's people like us that got the iron booted from Monopoly, and replaced with a cat.  :)

[backformore]

On ‎12‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 7:19 AM, DeLurker said:

Every post I've liked this morning generates the message "You are not allowed to like a post by this poster".  But it adds a like to their total anyway.

Am I on everyone's shit list?

It's not personal.  The same thing happens if you try to "like" a post you already liked. 

For some reason, the board is reading that you already liked the post, and is saying you can't give two likes to the same post.

[backformore]

My mom always said she LOVED to iron.   She would spend time in the basement doing laundry and ironing, and listening to the radio, while I had to help the younger kids with homework and put them to bed.  I always thought that what she LOVED was getting away from everyone.  

When I got married and had kids, my mom gave me a hard time when my son didn't know what an ironing board was, he had never seen me use one.   She tried to shame me in front of others, saying that I didn't iron (as though she was saying I never washed clothes).  the other women volunteered that they rarely ironed, so what's the big deal?    Now, I have two pairs of dress pants that I will iron occasionally because otherwise they  look wrinkly at the hem.   They're wearing out and need to be replaced, but a touch-up with the iron will make them last a little longer. 

[Random Noise]

4 hours ago, backformore said:

When I got married and had kids, my mom gave me a hard time when my son didn't know what an ironing board was, he had never seen me use one. 

When I was small, the only purpose I knew of for an ironing board was to throw a blanket over it and make a tent so I could go camping in the living room.

[Mindthinkr]

6 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

It's people like us that got the iron booted from Monopoly, and replaced with a cat.  :)

Well I am a cat lover and was happy to see that. My granddaughter didn't even know what the iron was! 

Edited December 9, 2017 by Mindthinkr
Grammar (and it still might be wrong or it's just too early in the morning!).

[auntlada]

9 hours ago, ChiCricket said:

It's people like us that got the iron booted from Monopoly, and replaced with a cat.  :)

Knowing what I know about @bilgistic from this board, I think she's OK with that.

[Sun-Bun]

On 12/7/2017 at 10:06 AM, AgentRXS said:

So that leads to lack of affordable housing as a major peeve. They keep destroying wildlife habitats to build new homes, and almost all of them are catered to the rich or at least upper-middle-class: "Luxury homes starting at $800k!". So many people down here are just waiting for the housing market to crash again so they can afford to buy a place.

Indeed. I get so goddamned annoyed by all these stupid "luxury residences" being built all over the heart of my city that start at 400k and above---who in the Hell can afford this shit but upward professionals in the health, legal and entertainment industries?!

My husband and I only have our downtown loft because he was fortunate enough to buy it ten years ago before the recession/housing boom when it was still in the pre-building stages. Now we joke that we can't even afford our own place---it's now worth over $200k more than what he paid for it. Sure, we could sell and make bank, but we're city mice who don't want to live in a house and/or on the outskirts of town, so there you go.

Total first world problem, but then again, it does irk me too that this is an issue across the country. It's almost criminal the way housing prices have gotten so ridiculous. 

[peacheslatour]

We're in the same boat. We own our house and the house next door. If we sold them both we could make a pile of money but you need a mountain of it to live in this town.

[bilgistic]

The same thing has happened in Charlotte to an alarming degree. Affordable housing has been razed all over town only to be replaced by hastily and poorly constructed "luxury" apartment complexes and $400K+ condos. Gentrification galore. My question is always where do those deplaced people go? It's heartless and gross, all in the name of profit and "progress", and one of many reasons why I won't ever work in commercial real estate again. Charlotte has long been a city about the next shiny thing instead of honoring history. If I could afford to leave, I would. If I get to a point where and when I can, I will.

[peacheslatour]

Ugh. Sing it sister. Around here they build huge McMansions on tiny little lots with no yards. Our across the street neighbors have three huge dogs that they keep on their balcony all the fucking time. Why in the hell would you buy a house with no yard when you have three behemoths?

[Maharincess]

22 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Ugh. Sing it sister. Around here they build huge McMansions on tiny little lots with no yards. Our across the street neighbors have three huge dogs that they keep on their balcony all the fucking time. Why in the hell would you buy a house with no yard when you have three behemoths?

There's a small patch of land at the bottom of the hill I live on. That patch used to be full of deer and other animals. This year they built 4 huge houses on that spot of land and each yard is the size of a small car.   Everyone in the area fought these houses for two years but they finally built them. I still have my few acres but these houses really mess up the seclutivity of my area.   We're worried that we may have to fence and gate our property if the houses have kids who keep coming on our property. If those kids get hurt on my property, I'm liable.  I hate it so much. Ever since the construction started, the deer have disappeared and my (third generation) rafter of turkeys that came to my door every door for dinner rarely come around anymore. 

It just sucks because there aren't a whole lot of open spaces where I live and they're building these huge houses in every open spot they can find.  

It used to be so pretty when I stood at the top of my road and looked down to see all of the trees and animals. Now I see a fence and the sides of big, ugly houses.   I love where I live but not as much as I used to.   I'd give anything to be able to move to the "real" country. 

Edited December 9, 2017 by Maharincess

[peacheslatour]

Quote

We're worried that we may have to fence and gate our property 

We already had to do that. Price tag? $6,000.00.

[Maharincess]

1 minute ago, peacheslatour said:

We already had to do that. Price tag? $6,000.00.

Yikes. I have almost 6 acres. If we do fence it will probably just be at the bottom of the hill. Most of our property is behind and to the side of our house and nobody could really get up there. It's the bottom of the hill and my road that I don't want anybody on.  

The house are almost done and they've all been sold so we're getting signs to post down the hill to keep the new people out. If that doesn't work, we'll have to look into fencing which I will hate. I love looking outside and seeing nature. I don't want to have to look at a fence. 

[PRgal]

24 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Ugh. Sing it sister. Around here they build huge McMansions on tiny little lots with no yards. Our across the street neighbors have three huge dogs that they keep on their balcony all the fucking time. Why in the hell would you buy a house with no yard when you have three behemoths?

The McMansion issue is at least 25-30 years old around here.  Buyers are usually wealthy immigrants who think "bigger is better" and don't care too much about older buildings.  Typically, they're first generation money and want to show off what they've "achieved" and also feel that smaller, older homes are too cramped (especially if homes in the old country typically had less space).   I'm not making excuses for them - just reporting experience (because we know/know of too many people like that).

[Mindthinkr]

Let's at least be grateful we have homes. This year has taken a toll on housing all over America. The Hurricanes, floods and now the raging fires in CA...we could have it much worse. 

[peacheslatour]

18 minutes ago, PRgal said:

The McMansion issue is at least 25-30 years old around here.  Buyers are usually wealthy immigrants who think "bigger is better" and don't care too much about older buildings.  Typically, they're first generation money and want to show off what they've "achieved" and also feel that smaller, older homes are too cramped (especially if homes in the old country typically had less space).   I'm not making excuses for them - just reporting experience (because we know/know of too many people like that).

Around here they're usually older dudes with trophy wives. 

[Mindthinkr]

Just now, peacheslatour said:

Around here they're usually older dudes with trophy wives. 

Around here the trophy wives are starting to age out and they both look old. Wonder if the men will trade them in. 

[PRgal]

17 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Around here they're usually older dudes with trophy wives. 

In both cases, it's a self-confidence thing.  Those older dudes, like the immigrant families, feel that new/"best of the best" is better.  Here, the new immigrants are all about "brand name" - from schools for their kids to where they shop (see my experience of "shopping while Anglophone" upthread) to where they live/size of their home - and I find it really sad.  

[peacheslatour]

9 minutes ago, PRgal said:

In both cases, it's a self-confidence thing.  Those older dudes, like the immigrant families, feel that new/"best of the best" is better.  Here, the new immigrants are all about "brand name" - from schools for their kids to where they shop (see my experience of "shopping while Anglophone" upthread) to where they live/size of their home - and I find it really sad.  

Are you in BC?

[PRgal]

1 minute ago, peacheslatour said:

Are you in BC?

Toronto, but I hear the same happens in Vancouver.

Edited December 9, 2017 by PRgal

[bilgistic]

Quote

I screwed up entering this quote box and can't get rid of it. Ignore!

This NPR article is 11 years old, but I think about it when I discuss this issue.

Quote

The average American house size has more than doubled since the 1950s; it now [2004] stands at 2,349 square feet. Whether it's a McMansion in a wealthy neighborhood, or a bigger, cheaper house in the exurbs, the move toward ever large homes has been accelerating for years.

Families have gotten smaller since the 1950s, not larger, so why do people need larger homes now? I grew up in an 1100-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house built in 1973. There were five people living there when my mother remarried--my parents, two sisters and me. Now it seems that kids "can't" share a bedroom and people need a "bonus" room, whatever that is (man cave?).

[peacheslatour]

18 minutes ago, PRgal said:

Toronto, but I hear the same happens in Vancouver.

Yep. My dad used to do a lot of business in Vancouver and he told me the same thing.

Quote

(man cave?).

AARRGGHHH! Another pet peeve. What is it with these grown assed men acting like little boys? No wonder we have a seventy year old toddler in the White House.

[Bastet]

That's interesting; my house was built in 1938 and is around 1600 square feet, so that would suggest it was huge for its time (I looked up the data from the same source, but going back further, and from 1900 to 1950, the average square footage stayed about the same), but that's a typical size for homes in the area (all built between the '20s and '40s, in a solidly middle class neighborhood).

Now it's considered small, but my condo was 1200 square feet, and the extra 400 square feet feel huge every time I clean the house.  My parents' house is 1800 square feet, and that was big for a family with only one child.  Unless you run a group home, homes larger than 2000 square feet confuse me.

[PRgal]

2 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Yep. My dad used to do a lot of business in Vancouver and he told me the same thing.

AARRGGHHH! Another pet peeve. What is it with these grown assed men acting like little boys? No wonder we have a seventy year old toddler in the White House.

Yeah, but fashionistas (and fashionistos - but it's mostly women) want HUGE closets for their collection.  #sorrynotsorry

Edited December 9, 2017 by PRgal

[theredhead77]

@bilgistic same reason people jump from a car to an SUV when having one kid. Strollers still fit in the trunk,, car seats still fit in the backseat, and SUV is a want, not a requirement. People without funds to buy an SUV can get by with a basic sedan.

On the housing note, my current place is a 2bd, 2bth "upgraded apartment" in what is being billed as a "luxury" complex. My old place was built in 1929 or 1939 and pretty neglected by the owners, so it was showing its age. The renovations on my current place are being rushed (my place was still being worked on at 8pm the night before I moved in) and it shows.  I wish I opted for a 1bd and saved a couple hundred a month in rent instead of going with "new fancy apartment" to go with my "new fancy management job". 

I'm making quite a bit more but am still struggling to get by, due to increase in rent and bills. I was optimistic that my relocation deductions would net a sizeable refund that I could use to knock out my credit card debt but I'm not so sure about that anymore, after doing some research.

[auntlada]

27 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

This NPR article is 11 years old, but I think about it when I discuss this issue.

Families have gotten smaller since the 1950s, not larger, so why do people need larger homes now? I grew up in an 1100-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath ranch house built in 1973. There were five people living there when my mother remarried--my parents, two sisters and me. Now it seems that kids "can't" share a bedroom and people need a "bonus" room, whatever that is (man cave?).

My sister-in-law and her family just bought a new house with a huge master bedroom (with a huge bathroom and two huge closets) downstairs and two bedrooms and an extra room upstairs. The outside looks very big, but once you're inside, it doesn't seem all that large. I think it's partly the tall ceilings, including a two-story height living room. It doesn't have the rooms I'd want. In a two-story house, I'd want a guest room and bath downstairs for my mom and in-laws who are getting older and a study/library. I might also like a parlor-type room that is not connected to the kitchen -- you know, for all the entertaining we do [/sarcasm]. Of course, I don't like the room with the TV to be completely open to the kitchen anyway. And what's with putting the dining room right next to the front door -- or in some houses, putting the dining table directly in front of the front door so you walk in and smack into it?

The nice but probably unnecessary thing about my sister-in-law's new house is that they have a separate third-car garage with a room above it, so we stayed there at Thanksgiving. It was nice to go back and have a place of our own without any children but ours. (And he usually behaves pretty well. Better than some of his cousins, anyway.)

[theredhead77]

In an unrelated pet peeve, I despise scripted customer service center interactions. I appreciate the restating of my issue, once, but the constant restating is annoying as fuck.

[bilgistic]

I like small spaces for myself. My apartment is 800 square feet and my old condo was about 750 square feet. It forces me not to accumulate a lot of stuff, but that's not really in my nature, anyway. My place now is much better laid out than my old condo. Not having homeowners' association fees is nice, too. I'm paying $100+ less renting than I was owning, and I don't have to pay to fix anything. For all the complaints I have about renting, I don't know that I'll ever buy again.

I wish I could find a "senior living" community that would allow a youngster in her 40s. I live like a senior. I'm quiet, respectful of my neighbors, a hermit, I don't smoke and I don't let my cats out to poop in my neighbors' plants. My old condo neighbors (most were retirees) would complain incessantly about that last point at the homeowners' association meetings.

[Random Noise]

3 hours ago, bilgistic said:

The same thing has happened in Charlotte to an alarming degree. Affordable housing has been razed all over town only to be replaced by hastily and poorly constructed "luxury" apartment complexes and $400K+ condos. Gentrification galore. My question is always where do those deplaced people go? It's heartless and gross, all in the name of profit and "progress", and one of many reasons why I won't ever work in commercial real estate again. Charlotte has long been a city about the next shiny thing instead of honoring history. If I could afford to leave, I would. If I get to a point where and when I can, I will.

Last winter I was working on a live streaming app for my TV and somehow got hooked on watching the morning show on WCCB Charlotte. I think it was about 2 weeks ago I was watching a protest going on there about affordable housing and if you changed the buildings in the background you'd swear it was one of the continuing protests going on in Vancouver.

I don't know all that much about other cities, but Vancouver is largely being bought up by investors from Hong Kong. My relatives here, whose property I currently have my tiny house parked on,  are partnered with another Vancouver based company and were able to secure an apartment in downtown Vancouver as part of a business deal. The apartments are going at $1.5 million each and up to $6 million if you want an apartment on the top floor. Meanwhile, in other parts of Vancouver some people have resorted to living in RVs or vans because they can't afford a place to stay.

For the 2010 winter olympics, Vancouver shipped out bus loads of homeless people and blocked the area to keep out the transient (RV, van, etc) dwellers so the world wouldn't see what a screwed up place it really is.

[bilgistic]

23 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

@bilgistic same reason people jump from a car to an SUV when having one kid. Strollers still fit in the trunk,, car seats still fit in the backseat, and SUV is a want, not a requirement. People without funds to buy an SUV can get by with a basic sedan.

One day when we were out to lunch, my jackass ex-boss saw a high-end car of some sort (like a Maybach or something crazy like that). He acted like he'd seen Jesus. He literally followed the car for several blocks just to admire/drool over it.

He and my coworker started playing this "game" asking each other what car they would buy if they had all the money to spend. Mind you, ex-boss's wife drove a Mercedes SUV. Ex-boss then asked me what I would get, and I told them I'd get a newer Honda Civic. Well, that just wouldn't do. He said, you have x amount of money and what you don't spend goes to kill cats(!!). Seriously! The man was deranged. I asked him why he couldn't conceive of the notion that I am not materialistic.

[Bastet]

29 minutes ago, theredhead77 said:

bilgistic same reason people jump from a car to an SUV when having one kid. Strollers still fit in the trunk,, car seats still fit in the backseat, and SUV is a want, not a requirement. People without funds to buy an SUV can get by with a basic sedan.

I don't know how many times I've heard someone "had to" get an SUV because they had a second kid.  Even allowing for the fact kids now have to be in car seats until puberty, two kids fit in the backseat of a car just fine.  If you want an SUV, dandy; I'm complaining about the "had to" part.  Especially because it's usually in the context of complaining about how much it cost them.

[bilgistic]

Mom, my sisters and I fit into a Volkswagen Fox (compact sedan) in the early 1990s. That was practically child abuse!

I thought it was a super-cute car.

Edited December 9, 2017 by bilgistic

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

Let's at least be grateful we have homes. This year has taken a toll on housing all over America. The Hurricanes, floods and now the raging fires in CA...we could have it much worse. 

You're absolutely right and I completely agree. But this is the Pet Peeves thread not the What Are We Thankful For thread.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, auntlada said:

And what's with putting the dining room right next to the front door -- or in some houses, putting the dining table directly in front of the front door so you walk in and smack into it?

Of the three houses my best friend has had, two of them were like that (including the one she lives in now).  She doesn't particularly like it, but it doesn't bother her.  Another friend of mine has a layout that would have been an absolute deal-breaker to me: You enter into the dining room (I mean open the front door and, boom, you're in the dining room), with the kitchen straight ahead (divided by a peninsula).  To get to the living room, you have to go through the dining room to the hallway, walk all the way down the hall (past the bathroom and extra bedrooms), where it opens up into the living room, and then the master bedroom suite is to the right, off the living room.  So any time they have people over, the guests are traipsing through their whole house.  It's nuts to me (it was originally a tiny little box of a house, and someone added on).  Which is what brings this back to a peeve - making major changes that don't match the style of the home and neighborhood, rather than just going someplace where what you want makes sense.

[auntlada]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I don't know how many times I've heard someone "had to" get an SUV because they had a second kid.  Even allowing for the fact kids now have to be in car seats until puberty, two kids fit in the backseat of a car just fine.  If you want an SUV, dandy; I'm complaining about the "had to" part.  Especially because it's usually in the context of complaining about how much it cost them.

We didn't have to get an SUV -- actually minivan --  when we had a kid, but we did need a bigger car. We had a 16-year-old Geo Metro standard that wouldn't stay in fifth gear. With the car seat in, only one person could sit in the front seat because you had to move the passenger seat all the way up to fit the car seat in. When he needed a bigger car seat, it would not fit without facing him forward. We could have done that legally (although you can't here now until after 2 years old), but didn't want to for safety reasons. We kept him rear-facing until he was 3 because he never fussed about it. Our first bigger car was a sedan, though, because the aforementioned sister-in-law and her family (two children) decided they needed a second SUV. They probably didn't, but I'm not complaining because they gave us their car, and there was no way at the time we could have afforded even a new-to-us car. We got our minivan when that car was almost 10 years old and started to have things go wrong. I didn't want to get stranded on a highway with a small child.

I am glad we got the minivan, though. It makes it easier on vacations and at Christmas. Of course, I might be an overpacker who wants to be prepared for any contingency.

Your friend's house sounds weird, @Bastet. If you are going to go to all that trouble to add on, why don't you reconfigure the layout so it works better?

Edited December 10, 2017 by auntlada

[hoosier80]

Why can't grocery store baggers figure out how to bag up groceries correctly?  I mean I get one bag with two items and another that is overflowing.  I just discovered I'm missing something.  I think it was from a bag that ripped or was too full, so I was frantically picking up stuff out of the car the other night.  I was tired, so in a hurry to get it done, get everything in from the car so I could relax a bit.  The baggers will also put all of the heavier items, like one bag with every can or jar.   It's not just one store unfortunately.  At least the one I go to doesn't keep you waiting in line for over 30 minutes.  The one that is closest to me, 30 minutes in line is quick.  They will have maybe 2 cashiers, then the self serve checkouts have lines going back into the merchandise aisles, plus they are always out of everything I need.

Yes, I know I should start using my own bags, but even if they bag with their bags, they should have clue how to balance the load a bit.

As for having a bigger car, I had my 4 door sedan totaled several years back.  I loved that car.  Some idiot lost control in front of me, I slowed down so he didn't hit me.   Next car behind me was a good half mile away.  He watched the out of control car, didn't watch the road, kept driving at the speed limit, rear ending me.  People from the other side of the highway came running over to me, thinking I was seriously hurt.  I wasn't, except for straining every muscle in my back, neck, legs.  Still have bad issues to this day (got a reasonable settlement - not huge, after I had to get an attorney).  I got another small sedan to replace the totaled car.  Hated that replacement car, but kept it for over 15 years.  I'd just paid off the totaled car, and I was like I'm going to keep this next car until the wheels fall off (almost did).  I wanted a larger car, because it made me feel safer somehow.  I do a little more travelling out of state, so more time on highways.  I'd always wanted an SUV after driving one while the car I hated was being repaired; I feel in love with that car.  So, I finally got a Honda CRV a couple of years back.  It's saved me from having to shovel my driveway a lot; the smaller car would get stuck in the driveway, now I can power through.  I also had a couple of times where the roads were slick, we were basically sitting on this road that has deep drainage ditches on the side.  Even with the small car in park, I could feel it sliding off slightly with the brakes on - even emergency brakes.  The CRV has just enough weight to stop a lot of the sliding issues.  I'm more of a nervous, cautious driver ever since that accident.  It was like a Dukes of Hazzard moment, but in real life.  A friend was ripping me, why do  you need such a big car?  Because I want it.  It was such a WTF question because this person has NEVER bought their own car, gets mom & dad's hand me downs as they trade in for a new car.  This person is in their mid 40's, so not a kid.   The latest hand me down was a Jeep Cherokee.  Had me howling, as it's a gas guzzler.   I don't get the super expensive cars, but I guess if cars are your thing, then hey, go for it.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, auntlada said:

We kept him rear-facing until he was 3

My motion sickness is so bad I could get queasy just from thinking about that too much.

Holy crap, I am watching a show on Animal Planet about fat pets, and these owners are my latest peeve!  Their pets are morbidly obese - four and five times their maximum ideal weight - because they're feeding them four or fives times as much as they should be eating and doing nothing to encourage exercise, and the host gives them all kinds of information and tips, and they just wishy-washy "Oh, but she loves food so much" ignore 90% of it.  Worse yet, they complain about the few aspects they do implement by saying, "She doesn't eat as much that way."  THAT'S THE IDEA.  I don't think this is a good show for me to watch; these aren't portly pets who, sure, could stand to be a little thinner but are doing just fine as they are, these are unhealthy pets who are going to die early - not to mention being tired and uncomfortable while they live - for a completely avoidable reason!  Grrr ...

[walnutqueen]

10 minutes ago, Bastet said:

My motion sickness is so bad I could get queasy just from thinking about that too much.

Holy crap, I am watching a show on Animal Planet about fat pets, and these owners are my latest peeve!  Their pets are morbidly obese - four and five times their maximum ideal weight - because they're feeding them four or fives times as much as they should be eating and doing nothing to encourage exercise, and the host gives them all kinds of information and tips, and they just wishy-washy "Oh, but she loves food so much" ignore 90% of it.  Worse yet, they complain about the few aspects they do implement by saying, "She doesn't eat as much that way."  THAT'S THE IDEA.  I don't think this is a good show for me to watch; these aren't portly pets who, sure, could stand to be a little thinner but are doing just fine as they are, these are unhealthy pets who are going to die early - not to mention being tired and uncomfortable while they live - for a completely avoidable reason!  Grrr ...

Oooh - that show makes me livid!!!  I think it's called My Big Fat Pet Makeover, but it should be called My Stupid Pet Owners' Makeover.  It has devolved into typical formulaic fare, but still hits my hot button (or, at least, one of my MANY hot buttons!).