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

[MargeGunderson]

In the show My Name is Earl there is a running joke that Earl has his eyes closed in every picture. I earl all pictures as well.

[DeLurker]

My nephew rarely took a good photo despite being very attractive - the camera just made him incredibly self conscious.  I totally can relate as I was always the same way.  Candid pictures of us turn out fine.  We found out that the pictures I usually took of him turned out very well or pictures of the two of us together.  We decided that we were just comfortable with each other so we didn't tense up.

[AgentRXS]

19 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I hate, hate, HATE having my picture taken. Haaaaate. I learned at the tender age of 18 that I just do not photograph well: my normally straight nose curves to the side when I smile, my eyes do weird things, my hair never looks good (when I say never, I know of what I speak), I have a squishy jawline that's only getting worse the older I get, and for some sadistic reason, family members want to take my picture when I am in crappy clothes and no makeup on. I'm kicking myself because I let myself get bullied into being in a group picture, even though I had a lousy day and looked like the wrath of twenty gods. I seriously can't stand effortlessly photogenic people, and don't get me started on how disgusting I look in selfies. 

 

18 hours ago, Maharincess said:

@Wiendish Fitch, I am so with you. I HATE having my picture taken and I'm pretty sure I am the least photogenic person ever born.

 

18 hours ago, bilgistic said:

You all can't be the least photogenic because I am.

I have found my tribe. I am sure that I am actually the least photogenic person alive and I could list the physical attributes to prove it, but I don't want to horrify you all. Ironically enough, the best photo taken of me in recent years has been my driver's license photo. That was back in 2010 and this year I have to renew my license and will probably have to take an updated photo. I am so sad that the decent photo of 27 year old me will forever vanish and be replaced with whatever hound-of-hell expression my 35 year old face will come up with that day.

My group photo peeve is being forced to be positioned in the front or middle row when I've clearly expressed how uncomfortable I am taking photos. I am about 5'6 so its not placing me in the back row will completely obscure me. I also absolutely hate how people lie after the photo is taken and say "You look fine/beautiful/the photo came out great!" when I clearly look horrific. Please don't make it worse by trolling me.

Edited March 18, 2018 by AgentRXS

[annzeepark914]

16 hours ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I would have been unhappy all the way to the penitentiary. 

@SuprSuprElevated:  Heh heh...thank you so very much for the big laugh I got from this!

[Bastet]

21 hours ago, Maharincess said:

Speaking of being a bridesmaid, @Bastet, you poor thing. This seems like such a misery to you and I don't blame you. Any time I see or hear about wedding stuff these days I think about you. Just keep telling yourself that it will all be over and done soon. You're such a good friend, anyone would be lucky to call you their friend. You go above and beyond. When is the wedding date? 

Thank you.  The wedding isn't until the very end of June, which is one of my annoyances with this dress mania.  When I checked on availability, one would come in no later than the 2nd of June, and the other two would be in no later than one of the early days of April (and the bridal gown came in nearly a month before its "no later than" date, so they seem to pad the timeframe quite a bit to avoid problems).  So her sister is hounding her for a color choice and I'm sitting here wondering where's the fire.  I know her sister will need hers hemmed, because she's short, but still - it's just a hem, not a completely customized fit.  The dress she's leaning towards will come in by the beginning of May; Cinderella's mice could hem the damn thing in far less than nearly two months.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Bastet

[janestclair]

You all can't be the least photogenic, because it's absolutely me.  The only pictures I have allowed to be taken of myself in recent memory are my ID photo for work and my driver's license.  I haaaate taking pictures.  I look ridiculous, and if it's a group picture, I can never hide because I'm usually the shortest, and thus in the front.  

Pantyhose were clearly invented by a man, because they're torture.  I cannot remember the last time I wore a dress or a skirt, so it was probably my sister's wedding 5 years ago.  I know I didn't wear pantyhose then.  They're way too itchy and confining and impossible to not get a snag and a run.  Screw that.    

[DeLurker]

50 minutes ago, Bastet said:

So her sister is hounding her for a color choice

I thought the bride had given an array of colors to choose from and a fair amount of latitude on the dress?  Or is she still angling for the cobalt blue?

[biakbiak]

59 minutes ago, Bastet said:

So her sister is hounding her for a color choice and I'm sitting here wondering where's the fire. 

The closer you get to summer on bridesmades dresses availability can drop and prices increase if ypu havent purchased it yet.

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, DeLurker said:

Or is she still angling for the cobalt blue?

Bingo.  And my guess is what's what we wind up wearing, but we'll see.

[SuprSuprElevated]

3 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

@SuprSuprElevated:  Heh heh...thank you so very much for the big laugh I got from this!

ymw!

[peacheslatour]

2 hours ago, Bastet said:

Bingo.  And my guess is what's what we wind up wearing, but we'll see.

Good luck finding flowers that look good with cobalt blue.

[emma675]

I think I've taken maybe 3 good pictures in my life. I feel like I look okay in person but my features just don't translate well to photos. I have a very round face and my head looks like the Goodyear blimp in pics. I hang on like grim death to the few random pics where I'm not totally hideous. On the positive side, I'm 5'8" so I usually end up in the back of most group photos.

[AuntieL]

I am also horribly in photogenic-or possibly just horribly unattractive. It can go either way. Since I try to avoid mirrors as much as possible  i'm always a little surprised at what I look like. I will say I had my picture taken today with a group of friends at a wine tasting. The guy who took it stood on a chair and took it looking down so that at least you can't see my double chin.  Apparently that's my best angle. 

 I made the mistake once of telling a friend of mine that she was not photogenic and she was insulted. I tried to explain that I was actually complementing her that she is much prettier in person than in her pictures  but she didn't see it that way.  Having said that I do think that most of the time we think we look much worse than other people think we do. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

So many annoying things to comment about:

 

On 3/14/2018 at 10:43 PM, backformore said:

Michaels is good about that.  They put out coupons in flyers and in the newspaper, 50% off one item.  And sometimes they have extra flyers in the store.  If you don't have a coupon, the sales people have extra and they can apply it to your purchase.  And when you check out,  they give you a coupon for your next visit.   the thing is, if you don't KNOW about the coupons, you might decide not to buy what you need because of the price.   I wish stores just put the price on stuff, the same price for everyone.

I once read that middle children (I'm #3 of 5) are all about fairness, and I see it in myself all the time.  Like these coupons, or bargaining--just put a price on it and have everybody pay it.  It's unfair to reward people who just happen to know about the coupons at the register, or to have the employee decide whether to offer it to a given person.

And I can't count the number of times I've gotten a discount that I didn't expect.  Walgreens does it a lot, and Dick's Sporting Goods has done it.  I buy shirt that is marked $14.99 on sale, with no other signs about a deeper discount, and it rings up at $9.99.  I was willing to pay $14.99--what good does it do the store to sell it to me for $9.99? 

And like you said, tell me you're willing to sell it to me for $9.99 because I might pass if it's $14.99.

But I'm a hard case--I think houses should have price tags hanging on them.

 

On 3/17/2018 at 8:25 AM, Katy M said:

When I finished, I pushed my cart to the end and started bagging my stuff.  While I did that, the lady behind me push her cart up to right in front of the cashier.  So, when I finished bagging and went to pay, the cashier had to sort of walk towards me, while I reached from way over.  What if I had wanted to pay with my credit card?  She was standing right in front of the thing.  Who does that?  You wait until the person in front of you is done with their transaction before  you push your cart that far up.  That's just common sense.

On 3/17/2018 at 2:51 PM, harrie said:

That's happened to me once or twice.  I ask very nicely (seriously, not ironically) "Oh, are you paying for my order?"  They move back.

It happens to me a lot because I always bag my own groceries.  I just walk back toward them and say, "I need in there," probably making "shoo"ing motions with my hands if I'm not pushing their cart back toward them.

Not to defend anyone (never to defend anyone!), but people just don't pay attention--they're in a line and see an open space, and they move into it.

 

7 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

In the show My Name is Earl there is a running joke that Earl has his eyes closed in every picture. I earl all pictures as well.

I always have an open mouth and furrowed brows in photos because the person taking the picture always says something right before they take the picture, and I'm hard of hearing so I always say, "Huh?" and that's the face that gets captured.

 

4 hours ago, AgentRXS said:

the best photo taken of me in recent years has been my driver's license photo.

I take horrible photos, even without the "huh?" face, but I had a driver's license photo that was really cute.  This was back when people showed an ID when writing a check, and more than one retail person told me, "What a great picture!" 

Mr. Outlier takes the best photos ever.  He said the secret is just to smile like crazy, and I really do think he's right.  But I can't do that because I'm pissed off that it's going to be a bad photo.

[Maharincess]

8 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

In the show My Name is Earl there is a running joke that Earl has his eyes closed in every picture. I earl all pictures as well.

We loved that show. We always call closed eyes pictures "an Earl Hickey".

I don't think it's unfair at all for people to get deals or coupons because they asked. If the other people don't know to ask, that's on them.  I went to the craft store once and just about bought out their purple yarn section. I was joking with the cashier and making her laugh. I went to the car and decided to go back in for a new yarn carrier thing.  It cost 60 dollars but she scanned a half off coupon for me without me asking. It pays to be nice and friendly sometimes.  I'm not a haggler and I never ask for a deal or anything, (except at the flea market)but I don't think it's wrong when people do it. 

Edited March 19, 2018 by Maharincess

[Bastet]

18 hours ago, peacheslatour said:

Good luck finding flowers that look good with cobalt blue.

Yellow would be gorgeous (whenever I cut yellow flowers, I put them in a cobalt vase), but beyond yellow and certain shades of orange, options are limited.

She has vetoed the cobalt as too bright, in a group email to her mom (why?!), her sister, and me; the mom has already emailed back that cobalt isn't bright, and the bride has emailed again to say yes it is, and we're not getting it.  I didn't sign up for this shit; I emailed the bride alone and said I'm going to call in the morning, get an appointment for the afternoon, so tell me by then what goddamned color you want me in and I will buy a dress in that color.

Then it's, well, the same color in two different fabrics looks different.  Fine, tell me a fabric; I have options in both fabrics we're looking at.  Just put me out of my misery and let me spend nearly 200 frakkin' dollars on a dress I do not want in the first place and will never wear again.

I'm sorry, all, I'm almost through complaining about this until the wedding, but if I don't vent here I'm going to damage a very important friendship by unleashing my full wrath (my other two closest friends could handle that, no problem, but she's rather sensitive, so I adjust myself accordingly).

Edited March 19, 2018 by Bastet

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, Maharincess said:

It cost 60 dollars but she scanned a half off coupon for me without me asking. It pays to be nice and friendly sometimes. 

It also pays to have a certain skin color sometimes, unfortunately. 

[peacheslatour]

30 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Yellow would be gorgeous (whenever I cut yellow flowers, I put them in a cobalt vase), but beyond yellow and certain shades of orange, options are limited.

She has vetoed the cobalt as too bright, in a group email to her mom (why?!), her sister, and me; the mom has already emailed back that cobalt isn't bright, and the bride has emailed again to say yes it is, and we're not getting it.  I didn't sign up for this shit; I emailed the bride alone and said I'm going to call in the morning, get an appointment for the afternoon, so tell me by then what goddamned color you want me in and I will buy a dress in that color.

Then it's, well, the same color in two different fabrics looks different.  Fine, tell me a fabric; I have options in both fabrics we're looking at.  Just put me out of my misery and let me spend nearly $200 frakkin' dollars on a dress I do not want in the first place and will never wear again.

I'm sorry, all, I'm almost through complaining about this until the wedding, but if I don't vent here I'm going to damage a very important friendship by unleashing my full wrath (my other two closest friends could handle that, no problem, but she's rather sensitive, so I adjust myself accordingly).

Yellow would work as would orange. But most brides want fucking pink or red and those colors would just die with cobalt. Best of luck to you, I imagine July will become your favorite month after this.

[riley702]

39 minutes ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

It also pays to have a certain skin color sometimes, unfortunately. 

The same as the cashier?

[Maharincess]

37 minutes ago, riley702 said:

The same as the cashier?

We actually had very different skin tones.  I stand by my comment that it pays to be nice and friendly. No matter the situation. 

[riley702]

I was asking @StatisticalOutlier, what her opinion was based on. I tend to agree with you on this one.

[TattleTeeny]

Ugh, no--I am the least photogenic person, you guys, especially in non-candids! Despite being a reasonably decent-looking chick, my discomfort of being posed and observed seriously oozes out my pores and aims itself right at the camera, as I shrink backward and create a multi-tiered chin that doesn't exist in reality. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

15 hours ago, riley702 said:

The same as the cashier?

Maybe, maybe not.  Depends on the situation.  Which is my point--prices should be the same for everyone.  Take the cashier's impression or mood out of it.

 

14 hours ago, Maharincess said:

We actually had very different skin tones.  I stand by my comment that it pays to be nice and friendly. No matter the situation. 

I guess it depends on how you define "pays."  If you hadn't gone back in and gotten the discount, would being nice and friendly still have "paid"?  It still would have been a good thing to do for the cashier, and for society, and probably even for you, and for that reason I endorse it.  And I probably shouldn't complain if people are nice only because they might get a discount, if the end result is that they're nice, but they better not go bitch about it on Yelp! if they don't. 

Maybe a customer is having to buy something after just hearing a loved one died.  Might not be nice and friendly to the cashier, but should that make him less deserving of a discount?

[Maharincess]

1 minute ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Maybe, maybe not.  Depends on the situation.  Which is my point--prices should be the same for everyone.  Take the cashier's impression or mood out of it.

 

I guess it depends on how you define "pays."  If you hadn't gone back in and gotten the discount, would being nice and friendly still have "paid"?  It still would have been a good thing to do for the cashier, and for society, and probably even for you, and for that reason I endorse it.  And I probably shouldn't complain if people are nice only because they might get a discount, if the end result is that they're nice, but they better not go bitch about it on Yelp! if they don't. 

Maybe a customer is having to buy something after just hearing a loved one died.  Might not be nice and friendly to the cashier, but should that make him less deserving of a discount?

I'm not a nice person because I'm trying to get something from people, I'm just nice to everyone because that's how I am.   I'm not an asshole, I'm a friendly person. When I say it pays to be nice, I don't mean pays in terms of me getting something material  back, it pays to be a nice person in general because if you're a nice person, that's what you get back in life. If you're an asshole, that's what you get back. 

[peacheslatour]

I think everyone should have to work a retail job for at least one month in their lives. You find out very quickly that there are a lot of entitled asshats in this world.

[TattleTeeny]

Oooh, the horror stories I could tell about my years at a big Barnes & Noble--with general, clueless rudeness being the least of our problems, haha!

[Wiendish Fitch]

Just now, TattleTeeny said:

Oooh, the horror stories I could tell about my years at a big Barnes & Noble--with general, clueless rudeness being the least of our problems, haha!

I've worked at B&N, McDonalds, and the public library... trust me when I say I've seen some shit.

[TattleTeeny]

"Shit" was actually literally one of the problems we had. Oy. 

[GHScorpiosRule]

19 minutes ago, TattleTeeny said:

Oooh, the horror stories I could tell about my years at a big Barnes & Noble--with general, clueless rudeness being the least of our problems, haha!

 

18 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I've worked at B&N, McDonalds, and the public library... trust me when I say I've seen some shit.

Roy Rogers, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, Barnes & Noble...for all the great customers I had and met, there were some shitty, ENTITLED ASSHATS I had to deal with as well.

[Maharincess]

I have never worked retail but I can imagine how hard it must be to deal with asshole customers.  I never want to add on to their bad day by bitching and complaining about something that isn't their fault.  My daughter works at a high end hotel and she gets treated so horribly.  One time a doctor showed up 4 and a half hours before check in time and demanded to be let into his room early. My daughter tried over and over to explain that the room isn't ready and reminded him of check in time.  She even offered him a voucher to the hotel restaurant to use while he was waiting. He refused and kept yelling at her.  2 days later this rich, asshole doctor wrote a horrible note to her bosses about how rude and unprofessional she was.  He didn't get his way so he tried to mess with her job. 

I like to think that I'm a nice person in general.  If I do happen to act like an ass, I end up feeling so bad about it that I end up with physical stomach pains.  I have never been nice to a retail person hoping I would get a discount or some type of deal from them.  I'm nice because if they're dealing with mean customers or are just having a bad day, maybe a smile and some nice words will make their day better. 

[Zola]

2 hours ago, TattleTeeny said:

Ugh, no--I am the least photogenic person, you guys, especially in non-candids! Despite being a reasonably decent-looking chick, my discomfort of being posed and observed seriously oozes out my pores and aims itself right at the camera, as I shrink backward and create a multi-tiered chin that doesn't exist in reality. 

My mug shots aren't too bad, but I really don't like have my pic taken because most of the time I'm not ready for it, or even when I do pose I look ridiculous. which is one reason I don't do selfies. I have similar reactions when looking at myself in the mirror - I think eyes are too close together, or my browse need a good plucking, or my cheeks are too pale; or I see a double-chin even though I'm assured there isn't one.

[Mindthinkr]

32 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I think everyone should have to work a retail job for at least one month in their lives. You find out very quickly that there are a lot of entitled asshats in this world.

[peacheslatour]

20 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

 

Roy Rogers, Sears, Woodward & Lothrop, Barnes & Noble...for all the great customers I had and met, there were some shitty, ENTITLED ASSHATS I had to deal with as well.

I worked as a vet tech which isn't really retail but you do deal with the public but after the death of a dog/patient I loved I went to work at a custom paint shop. People would get more upset about their fucking paint/stain/wallpaper than they ever did about their beloved pets. When I became a florist it got a lot better probably because I didn't do weddings, I did corporate. The thing I realized was that 90% of your customers are absolute sweethearts, it's that other 10% that stick with you because they are such horrible people.

[GHScorpiosRule]

2 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

it's that other 10% that stick with you because they are such horrible people.

What I found very odd, that for my regulars, if the husband was a sweetheart (when I worked as a bank teller), his wife would be a nagging, rude, vitriolic Shrew; or if the wife was sweet and funny, husband would be grumpy asshole. It always made me wonder how they were with each other in the privacy of their home.

[SuprSuprElevated]

59 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

I think everyone should have to work a retail job for at least one month in their lives. You find out very quickly that there are a lot of entitled asshats in this world.

You better sing it sister!

[StatisticalOutlier]

2 hours ago, Maharincess said:

I'm not a nice person because I'm trying to get something from people, I'm just nice to everyone because that's how I am.   I'm not an asshole, I'm a friendly person. When I say it pays to be nice, I don't mean pays in terms of me getting something material  back,

But your example of where it paid to be nice did include getting something material back.  And I did endorse being nice without the expectation of reward.

 

Quote

it pays to be a nice person in general because if you're a nice person, that's what you get back in life. If you're an asshole, that's what you get back. 

I've worked only a little bit in retail, but I'm always super nice to service employees.  Like if someone is in training, I always tell them they're doing great, that there's no way I could perform under that kind of pressure while everyone's looking at me.  Or when I order a Cheese Original at Schlotzsky's and they don't know how to ring it up even though there's a key for it but they've just never noticed it, and they have to get a manager to show them and it can be a clusterfuck, I patiently wait and afterward, tell them that hey, now you know how to ring up a Cheese Original.  Just being supportive.

I do it even though I'm not sure there's even a karmic reward in it for me.  I see plenty of assholes around who don't get asshole back, or I assume they don't get asshole back or you'd think they would stop being assholes.  I'd give up every karmic point I've ever earned for any of the assholes to get back what they dish out.

That said, maybe I come across as a rich snooty woman because several times people in grocery stores have asked me questions because they thought I worked there.  I always thought it was because I'm usually wearing jeans and a polo shirt and they mistook it for a uniform, but maybe I was wrong.  But I love it when they ask me a question, and I can answer, "Oh, I don't work here, but actually I just saw what you're looking for, over on the next aisle."

I also like giving people directions on the street--in a crowd, I'm always the one they pick out to ask, for some reason.  Whatever--I like doing it, and kind of rue the rise of smartphones and their maps because it's almost put me out of business.

[peacheslatour]

Reddit has a whole sub on this called I Don't Work Here Lady (Sweet Jesus, People Can Be Stupid).

[MargeGunderson]

34 minutes ago, peacheslatour said:

Reddit has a whole sub on this called I Don't Work Here Lady (Sweet Jesus, People Can Be Stupid).

If you wear khaki pants and a red shirt in Target, that’s on you.

[harrie]

18 minutes ago, MargeGunderson said:

If you wear khaki pants and a red shirt in Target, that’s on you.

I've made the mistake of wearing a red shirt to Target (probably with jeans), and people sometimes ask me things. If I know the answer, I help them out; if not, I apologize and tell them I' don't work there. 

[JTMacc99]

I worked as a deli clerk in the town where they film the Real Housewives of New Jersey. I met a few entitled asshats. Not as many as you would think though. 

[Sun-Bun]

To all of you supposedly unphotogenic people, here's a random silver lining: I'll bet you look fabulous in real life and/or video!

Me, I have the exact opposite problem: I'm actually very photogenic(used to model, so I know all my best angles/positions, "smizing" and all that), but I cringe in horror whenever I see myself filmed live or watch myself in motion. My still photos never match my typically goofy, spastic real life self. One of many reasons I quit modeling was because I was told that I "didn't match" my photos. I've even met (rude) people in person who told me my photos looked better. 

And it's not that I pull the "MySpace angle" trick or Facetune/photoshop my photos either...it's just that I actually don't mind photos and usually feel comfortable enough to relax in front of a camera. I guess years of my mom constantly shoving cameras in my face when growing up got me used to knowing how to look my best in pictures. I also had a photographer tell me once to look down and then up before a photo is snapped. And to also lovingly gaze into the camera like I'd lovingly gaze at my significant other...or fresh pizza.

[BookWoman56]

41 minutes ago, Sun-Bun said:

I also had a photographer tell me once to look down and then up before a photo is snapped. And to also lovingly gaze into the camera like I'd lovingly gaze at my significant other...or fresh pizza.

Ha! I remember reading an Agatha Christie novel once in which there is an actress famous for gazing longingly at her love interest in various movies, with this dreamy expression on her face. IIRC, when asked how she achieved that look, she responded that she would pretend that her current movie love interest she was looking at was instead her favorite chocolates. 

[Maharincess]

2 hours ago, forumfish said:

Before my mom had her stroke, we'd go shopping together, and nearly every trip involved someone stopping us to ask for help. We figured we just look approachable. I also do the "I don't work here, but what you need is on aisle XX" thing. Once, I did it in Home Depot and the young employee who couldn't help the customer turned and asked if I wanted a job. He seemed sincere, not sarcastic, so I politely told him I had a job, thanks. I also occasionally offer unsolicited product reviews, but only if it looks like the other person is really debating whether to buy the item or not.

I guess I inherited more of my dad's "I'll talk to anyone" trait then I thought I did.

My peeve today is cyclists who don't stay in their own lane. I'm not talking about when they need to veer into my lane to pass a parked car, I'll hang back and give them space. I mean the "leader of the pack" who decided that even though the rest of his group managed to stay in the generously-sized bicycle lane, he was entitled to ride several inches on the car side of the line. In 5 o'clock traffic, too.

I do the same thing if someone thinks I work at a store, I'll still tell them where it can be found because I know my regular grocery store like the back of my hand.  I'm also a magnet for people when I'm out, especially elderly people.  I can't tell you how many times I've stood in a store listening to an older person's life story. They always seem so lonely that if I have time, I'll stay and listen as long as they need to talk. One elderly woman asked for my email about 2 years ago and we still email each other to this day.  It happens a lot at my pharmacy and the grocery store.  They've always been drawn to me for some reason, even when I was young.  My kids always called me the "old people magnet".  I like kids and elderly people so I don't mind a bit when either approaches me.  Kids are fascinated by my wheelchair and walker so I've spent a lot of time talking to them about it. 

[Bastet]

My mom was, for decades, a magnet for old folks, especially women, asking her for help/recommendations/general chit-chat in the grocery store.  She loved it, and my dad and I enjoyed teasing her about it.  It doesn't happen as often now - I guess now that she's an old lady herself - but it's still good for a laugh when it does.

I do a lot of research before I travel anywhere, have probably never opened a map in public, and generally evince an "I know where I'm going" vibe, so I do not come off as a tourist even when I am, and thus get asked questions domestically a fair bit and also in some European countries from fellow Americans who think I'm a native (my skin color and hair mean I can "pass" for a variety of ethnicities).  And sometimes even from natives from another part of the (foreign) country!  It's crazy, but fun when I can answer -- especially when I'm stumbling through such an explanation in a language of which I have only a rudimentary grasp.

But I apparently don't have the "ask me things" countenance in the grocery store at home - thank the universe, probably - just the height that compels me to offer assistance to those straining towards an upper-shelf item.

[Mindthinkr]

6 hours ago, Bastet said:

But I apparently don't have the "ask me things" countenance in the grocery store at home - thank the universe, probably - just the height that compels me to offer assistance to those straining towards an upper-shelf item.

That’s me and I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate it. It’s so much nicer than the item literally falling onto my face. 

[biakbiak]

For some reason I always get the "do you work here?" At Home Depot a store I only go to when visiting my parents or occasionally with my BFF in the East Bay, seriously last summer when we were getting some plamtss I got asked at least three times and I was wearing a sundress!

[Mindthinkr]

Today I got annoyed. I was shopping and the parking lot was pretty full. I saw a space so I went for it. As soon as I began to turn the wheel I saw why it was available. Shopping cart. Yup. They couldn’t walk the 15 feet to put it into the “return carts here” space. I saw the two ladies who did it and it was because they were entitled (fancy dressed with pearls on) not because they were infirm (which I would have promptly forgiven). 

[backformore]

On 3/18/2018 at 6:25 PM, peacheslatour said:

Good luck finding flowers that look good with cobalt blue.

Peach roses.

20 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

  Or when I order a Cheese Original at Schlotzsky's and they don't know how to ring it up even though there's a key for it but they've just never noticed it, and they have to get a manager to show them and it can be a clusterfuck, I patiently wait and afterward, tell them that hey, now you know how to ring up a Cheese Original

Schlotzskys is still around?  I used to love that place. They disappeared around here.

[Bastet]

I'm sure you'll all be relieved to hear I just placed my bridesmaid dress order, and this should be my last wedding-related complaint for a while!

But first - not only was her mother trying to dictate the color (um, excuse me, are you wearing one of these dresses?  Paying for them?  No?  Then kindly shut the fuck up), when the bride emailed back to say, "Look, these are the three color options, and they will each pick whichever one they like best," Mom announces which one of those three it should be AND when bride reiterates that it will be whichever one or two of those three we want, then pops up with, "Well, [bride's niece, who is going to be a flower girl/junior bridesmaid/something so she can say she was part of it] has a pale yellow dress, so it needs to go with that."  EXCUSE ME? 

So that led to another frustrated email from the bride (who was an utter moron to include her mother in this email to begin with), saying it doesn't matter - we're not even sure what she's going to do as part of the ceremony, and she'll only be in a couple of the pictures, which is why bride told her she can whatever the hell she wants in the first place - so, no, her dress is not a factor in deciding our dresses.

Finally, the emails stopped.  I went in yesterday, picked out a different dress than the three I'd been considering, heh, and then the color got decided for us because of the bride's three options, both our dress styles were only available in one of those colors.  It's the same color, kind of lavender, so we'll be in same color, different dress, which I think is a good look.

Now, I'm not a pastel person (this color looks good on me, so no problem for the wedding, but yet another way in which this is a disposable dress), but I am apparently a far more petty person than I thought, because the fact we're wearing light purple dresses nevertheless makes me happy simply because it was the mom's least-favorite color. 

Oh, and the sister?  I sent an email Sunday night, a reply just to her and the bride (not the mom!) to the bride's email giving the final list of colors, starting off with "Hi, [Sister].  Nice to "meet" you, and I look forward to doing so in person this summer," and telling her I'd be going in the next day to finalize my dress selection, noting that the styles I was looking at all coordinate with the dress she'd opted for (and saying that she looked very nice in it), and thus I'd email the two of them my style selection and color availability when I was done, by which point she'd know her color availability, so we could make a final decision and then place our orders today.

Not a peep.  Ever.  The bride had to text her yesterday, "Are you alive?  If so, what did you find out about color availability?" to get that info.

Whew.  Done.  It will arrive in less than a month, I'm tall enough it doesn't need to be hemmed, and I can wear a regular bra with it, so I can just pick it up, shove that thing in the closet, and continue to put this wedding out of my mind until the end of June. 

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, backformore said:

Schlotzskys is still around?  I used to love that place. They disappeared around here.

They left my town too. Best place to grab a salad for lunch. We now have Panera’s (and it’s not close by) but it’s not the same thing.