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

[Blergh]

15 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

I missed the eclipse, don't even care. 

Actually, I DID see (and live within TOTALITY ) it but my pet peeve is that I wish it had lasted longer and today seems a bit anticlimactic- especially having to return to work. At least I'll get to share that experience with my colleagues there. I know, it's a first world problem and I have to deal with it on my own. But it's STILL a pet peeve until I've done so.

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

 

And:

"A lot" is two words.*

 

As is "each other" and I see it all the time lately as "eachother" ("moreso" too).

[Mindthinkr]

2 hours ago, DeLurker said:

My Mom's are like that too - maddening!  She has the ladder, purchased for that sole purpose, but as she gets older it is no longer a good idea that she do it.  I think she's finally passed the stage of rejecting her children's concerns as nonsense.  But I made sure my son did it before we left there a few weeks ago, so they should be good for a few more months.

You are a good daughter. I'm happy that you engaged your son to do it for them. It's a worry off of their minds and he's still young and nimble and was probably able to knock that job out pretty quickly. Thumbs up.  

[MrSmith]

On 8/9/2017 at 10:36 PM, AgentRXS said:

Yup. My peeve is my dad, who is always pressuring me to cook. He thinks I should cook one big meal and eat it 4-5 times a week. I do know single women who do that. I, however, may want eggs on Monday....and then I might not want eggs again for another month or so. So buying a carton of eggs is wasteful to me. I do keep some groceries in the house...and I will cook minimally...but don't ask me to cook a huge meal and eat the same thing for a week. Yuck.

I understand your position that what you want to eat day-to-day can vary. That said, in my opinion the only way to make cooking worthwhile is if you eat left-overs a few days. My wife does all the cooking and it's usually for just her and me, but we will have left-overs every meal by design even if it's just one day's worth (so eating the same meal two days in a row). Also, there are some meals that are actually better as left-overs. My wife makes a dish that's got red beans, rice, and polish sausage in it and it's so much better on the second day than the first that I insisted she make it a day early whenever she makes it. I can't imagine cooking a different meal every day. The amount of dishes one would have to do would make this completely untenable, in my opinion. Anyway, I now return you to your normal dinner planning.... :)

[Mindthinkr]

I have to make larger portions of certain meals only because it would be ridiculous to cook it for one. For instance, I made beef stew for a few friends the other night and then froze 3 single servings for future lazy days. (That is contingent on my friend who will have "nothing" to eat and then come raid my fridge and freezer for meals, but that's another pet peeve!) 

[TattleTeeny]

7 hours ago, Zola said:

Stickers!

I don't know if I'm just unlucky, but whenever I buy say a saucepan, frying pan, a plastic lunch box, a flask etc. I will always find on opening a label stuck to it.

This label could be as simple as the name of the manufacturer; basic instructions, or a safety notice. But the bugbear is trying to unpeel it in one piece, and without leaving any gum behind! 9 times out of 10 I'm successful, but there's always one that require some soap and water and a whole lot of rubbing and careful scraping to do the job.

Yesterday, I bought some horizontal blinds for my study room; and again there was a big red "Warning" sticker on the base, which try-as-I-might couldn't remove cleanly; and is now clearly visible to all and sundry when the blind is fully up!

I do sometimes wish manufacturers would give a little thought to either a)where they put these stickers, b) more practical alternatives  

I am so with you! I find it intolerable--especially on stuff you would eat with! I had a meltdown once about stickers affixed to the inside of the stainless-steel bowls I bought for my cats! It's one thing to mess with my dinnerware but entirely another when you affect my babies, haha!

Once I ended up in the ER because of a stubborn sticker on a spinning shoe tree! I was trying and trying to remove it and had upped the ante with an X-Acto blade--the super-pointy triangular style. Well, I slipped (because dumb!) and managed to pop that sharp point right into a vein in my hand. Blood everywhere--floor, part of the wall, and it would not stop. I called a nearby friend to take me to the hospital (because my own mother wouldn't), as I couldn't drive because of the enormous soaked-through bath towel around it (and while I waited, I mopped the floor). But by the time we got there, the bleeding had calmed down some and revealed the tiniest of holes in my hand--it was almost embarrassing, like I was some crazed hypochondriac. On the bright side, a nurse cleaned and bandaged it without bothering to take my info, so I didn't have to pay for anything. Then I threw my murder-towel away in a parking-lot trashcan. 

Edited August 22, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[voiceover]

Nobody uses Goo Gone on stickers anymore?

[TattleTeeny]

It didn't work! I now use lemon essential oil!

[Cherry Bomb]

45 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

I have to make larger portions of certain meals only because it would be ridiculous to cook it for one. For instance, I made beef stew for a few friends the other night and then froze 3 single servings for future lazy days. (That is contingent on my friend who will have "nothing" to eat and then come raid my fridge and freezer for meals, but that's another pet peeve!) 

I am a cook for only me person most days and I cook larger meals for this same reason because it would be a hassle to just cook smaller portions each night. Might as well have left overs for lunch especially since I have the Summer off before I start teaching in the Fall. It is quick and easy for lunch.

[janestclair]

1 hour ago, TattleTeeny said:

As is "each other" and I see it all the time lately as "eachother" ("moreso" too).

WTF?  Each other is clearly two words.  I have a dear friend (an MD, so he's no dummy, theoretically) who insists on writing "a lot" as one word.  It makes me crazy. Not as crazy as "should of" does, but it's up there.

 

Most of the time I really hate leftovers because I don't like having the same thing two days in a row, although there are some things that are better the next day (looking at you, Chinese food).  I only have to cook for 3 though, so there are always leftovers because none of us are big eaters.  I hate wasting food, but luckily my dad happily eats the leftovers.  My older sister who is used to cooking for 10 people was just visiting and she cooked dinner one night - we had leftovers for 3 days and still had more that we froze because I couldn't take another enchilada.  And I love enchiladas.  

[Quof]

Quote

 Each other is clearly two words.  I have a dear friend (an MD, so he's no dummy, theoretically) who insists on writing "a lot" as one word.  It makes me crazy. Not as crazy as "should of" does, but it's up there.

While we're at it, there is no such word as "nother".  

It's "another"

or "a whole other"

NOT "a whole nother". 

[Mindthinkr]

50 minutes ago, Cherry Bomb said:

I am a cook for only me person most days and I cook larger meals for this same reason because it would be a hassle to just cook smaller portions each night. Might as well have left overs for lunch especially since I have the Summer off before I start teaching in the Fall. It is quick and easy for lunch.

My daughter (6 years in an elementary school) takes this kind of stuff with her to work as well as there's a microwave in the teacher's room. 

Best wishes on your new position. It's just around the corner! 

[auntlada]

2 hours ago, Quof said:

While we're at it, there is no such word as "nother".  

It's "another"

or "a whole other"

NOT "a whole nother". 

 I am sure there are people who say that thinking that "nother" is a word or perhaps not thinking about it at all because so few people do think about the words they use, where they come from and how they work. I have decided, however, that when I say it, because I do and will likely continue, it's similar to saying, "abso-freaking-lutely," in that I am sticking one word inside another word. I generally do it when I am speaking in a folksy manner, which I occasionally do, as when I say that someone "just ain't right," meaning something is wrong with that person's thinking process.(This should never be said about someone who actually has a disability of some kind -- only about people who are just stupid or ignorant.)

[Moose135]

21 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

 I'm just grouchy cause I hate when stuff is overhyped/over talked about

Having spent 2 minutes and 38 seconds staring at the totality of the eclipse, it was in no way overhyped.  It was one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life.

[bilgistic]

2 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

Having spent 2 minutes and 38 seconds staring at the totality of the eclipse, it was in no way overhyped.  It was one of the most amazing things I've seen in my life.

I'm so glad you got to see it in totality! Here in Charlotte, it only turned dusky but with a slate gray-green hue instead the blueish hue that I see in normal dusk (unless I look at the sunset). I expected it to get much darker.

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, voiceover said:

Nobody uses Goo Gone on stickers anymore?

I do!  And it works (but is messy).

[Cherry Bomb]

2 hours ago, Mindthinkr said:

My daughter (6 years in an elementary school) takes this kind of stuff with her to work as well as there's a microwave in the teacher's room. 

Best wishes on your new position. It's just around the corner! 

Thank You, next Monday New Teachers go in for an orientation and then we start to set up our classrooms. All teachers are reporting to set up classrooms next Wednesday August 30th. So the few new teachers like myself get a jump start. I am pretty excited to set up my classroom and then back to school day where I meet the parents will be great as well.

[TattleTeeny]

I can deal with "whole 'nother" (with the apostrophe!) as a colloquial thing, in actual conversation or in books and movies, whatever. What I do hate, hate, hate is "cause" for "because" (though that too is more tolerable with the apostrophe).

[slf]

On 8/20/2017 at 8:51 PM, millennium said:

I anticipated someone would say that.   I was around when Run DMC first popularized it and watched it grow through the 80s, 90s and beyond.  I don't think my impression that rap/hiphop has been a predominantly African American genre is terribly off base.   I acknowledge, it has spread to a more mainstream audience in recent years but for someone who has witnessed the evolution of the form, it's nearly impossible not to associate it with black performers/audience. 

I think this is going over my head. Specifically: "It puts a grating racial edge on what should be an experience that can be enjoyed by all, regardless of background." I'm not clear on what you mean by "grating racial edge"?

[millennium]

2 minutes ago, slf said:

I think this is going over my head. Specifically: "It puts a grating racial edge on what should be an experience that can be enjoyed by all, regardless of background." I'm not clear on what you mean by "grating racial edge"?

1) The music is grating.   2) The music seems oriented specifically to a black demographic rather than the population of the park, which includes men, women and children of all ages and races.

In hindsight, I should have inserted a comma: "grating, racial edge."

[bilgistic]

Along with stickers that don't remove when they should, I'm very bothered by bottle and small tub (food/medicine) seals that don't come off fully. The thin styrofoamy seals are the worst. It itches me to see the bottle lip with the uneven remnants of the seal. Foil seals usually fully remove and it satisfies my brain. The plastic/cellophane seal on Trader Joe's tubs comes off cleanly maybe half the time. I can't handle the loose edges getting into my hummus.

Am I the only one who thinks about this?

[Bastet]

8 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Am I the only one who thinks about this?

Heavens, no - I have used tweezers and an x-acto knife to get rid of that shit, because it was annoying me every time I opened the container.  I was probably both drinking and procrastinating at the time, but still - it bugged.

[ratgirlagogo]

8 hours ago, voiceover said:

Nobody uses Goo Gone 

I love Goo Gone.  I use it a lot in the library to clean poorly labeled books.

 

9 hours ago, MrSmith said:

That said, in my opinion the only way to make cooking worthwhile is if you eat left-overs a few days.

Exactly how I feel.  I'm not going to spend hours braising beans or meat or whatever in the dutch oven and make one fucking meal out of it.  It gives you a cushion for the next few days - you can make something else for the next day if you feel like it but if you're tired, there's dinner already made.

[BookWoman56]

If I actually cook, as opposed to just throwing together a salad or something, I prefer to have leftovers for a day or two. I'm not going to eat the leftovers every meal for the next couple of days, but I'm okay with a little repetition.  There are a couple of things I make, such as vegetable soup or tomato basil soup, that are much better the second day. At the other extreme, my father had the same damn meal for dinner virtually every day for years: a baked potato, green beans, green salad, a slice of cornbread, and half a pear (canned). My mother was willing to cook other things, but that was his preference except for holidays and other special occasions. I'm not that extreme, but neither do I want to have to cook from scratch every single day. 

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I love Goo Gone.  I use it a lot in the library to clean poorly labeled books.

Dang!  I never thought of that! I've been buying a number of used books lately, and wearing my manicures out by trying to peel off stupidly-placed bar codes & labels.  

I did not even know it could work on paper products!

*bustles off to buy another one*

[ratgirlagogo]

17 minutes ago, voiceover said:

I did not even know it could work on paper products!

It works better if there is some kind of coating on the paper.  

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 8/20/2017 at 10:45 AM, Sun-Bun said:

I do know that a lot of Facebook "likes" depend upon the time of day one is posting, the amount of friends/popularity one has((how many people are actually Following you regularly)), and the amount of "likes"/comments you share with others

 I saw an interview on Book TV not long ago with an author who said that Facebook monkeyed with the timing of "like" notifications.  They wanted people checking and checking and checking and then getting several at once as a payoff, so they would purposely delay them.

 

12 hours ago, Blergh said:

Actually, I DID see (and live within TOTALITY ) it but my pet peeve is that I wish it had lasted longer and today seems a bit anticlimactic- especially having to return to work. At least I'll get to share that experience with my colleagues there. I know, it's a first world problem and I have to deal with it on my own. But it's STILL a pet peeve until I've done so.

90% eclipse for me.  I didn't get any glasses, but borrowed some for a few seconds during the peak, and I was disappointed with them because it looked fake, or just like every photo you see.

I was watching some of it on TV, and they were showing the same view you get with glasses.  I was much more interested in what it would look like to be pitched into darkness.

But I had fun.  I made a pinhole viewer with foil, but even better was using some backwards binoculars to project the image.  Much bigger and clearer than the pinhole thing.  I also used a plastic colander and got a super cool effect, but then realized that it was because I hadn't washed it well whenever I last used it and a lot of the holes were clouded with pasta starch.  Oops.

But ultimately, it made me sad because a guy walked up and showed me that he'd made a pinhole viewer, too, but then put it up to his eye and looked at the sun.  This poor guy made an effort to do it right, but still fucked it up.  I know there are lots of ignorant and/or stupid people in the world, but it always makes me sad to encounter them.

[voiceover]

1 hour ago, ratgirlagogo said:

It works better if there is some kind of coating on the paper.  

They're all paperbacks, but the covers have coating.  I'll try a little & report back.

[MargeGunderson]

8 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Along with stickers that don't remove when they should, I'm very bothered by bottle and small tub (food/medicine) seals that don't come off fully. The thin styrofoamy seals are the worst. It itches me to see the bottle lip with the uneven remnants of the seal. Foil seals usually fully remove and it satisfies my brain. The plastic/cellophane seal on Trader Joe's tubs comes off cleanly maybe half the time. I can't handle the loose edges getting into my hummus.

Am I the only one who thinks about this?

Definitely not. My husband is just the opposite with seals - meaning whatever he can tear off the first time is all that he is removing. Bugs me to no end.  

I found Goo Be Gone in pen form once and now wish I had bought several. It works just as well as the spray but not as messy.

[TattleTeeny]

Quote

I saw an interview on Book TV not long ago with an author who said that Facebook monkeyed with the timing of "like" notifications.  They wanted people checking and checking and checking and then getting several at once as a payoff, so they would purposely delay them.

I thought I noticed this happening! I don't really care* about this kind of stuff too much, but I recall clicking the little red thing recently and seeing "[THIS DUDE] and 8 others liked your post," and thinking, "What? All in the course of two seconds?!"

* Except for that post I made a while back about a cat that needed help! The lack of acknowledgment there really upset me (and you guys helped me feel less crappy--thank you!).  

Edited August 23, 2017 by TattleTeeny

[DeLurker]

In my single days, my friends and I would usually get together every couple of weeks for a big dinner - either potluck or one of us doing the bulk of the meal.  We would divvy up the leftovers so no one got stuck with enough leftovers they had to eat the same for a week to avoid tossing out good food.  It gave us a chance to try a recipe or practice cooking since none of us cooked a whole lot back then because we'd only be cooking for 1.

Several of my friends (in the later years) swore by their George Foreman Grill.  They said once they got that, they cooked for themselves at home much more frequently.  They'd marinate something the night before or in the morning before work, go home and pull out a salad (usually one of the pre-made mixes), make a side and cook on the GF. 

[Katy M]

7 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

 I saw an interview on Book TV not long ago with an author who said that Facebook monkeyed with the timing of "like" notifications.  They wanted people checking and checking and checking and then getting several at once as a payoff, so they would purposely delay them.

Now I feel like I'm doing life all wrong, because I don't care that much if I get a like on a Facebook post.

[Moose135]

1 hour ago, DeLurker said:

Several of my friends (in the later years) swore by their George Foreman Grill. 

I have one and love it!  I'll also make several things on the weekend, and have meals for the rest of the week so I don't need to bother with cooking when I get home from work.

[janestclair]

16 hours ago, Cherry Bomb said:

Thank You, next Monday New Teachers go in for an orientation and then we start to set up our classrooms. All teachers are reporting to set up classrooms next Wednesday August 30th. So the few new teachers like myself get a jump start. I am pretty excited to set up my classroom and then back to school day where I meet the parents will be great as well.

I hope your new teacher orientation is better than mine was.  We got no useful information whatsoever, and we went on a bus tour of the schools in the district.  I expected it to deal with practical things like lesson plan formats, and how to handle referrals.  Nope.  It was a cheerleading camp for how great the district is mixed with icebreakers. (Kill me now.)   We get an inservice day after Labor Day, so at most I'll be getting a few hours (in between useless meetings) to set up my classroom the day before we have kids in the building.  I love teaching, really. I just hate the dog and pony show that goes along with it.  Try not to let that bs overwhelm and discourage you, because there will be a lot of it.

11 hours ago, bilgistic said:

Along with stickers that don't remove when they should, I'm very bothered by bottle and small tub (food/medicine) seals that don't come off fully. The thin styrofoamy seals are the worst. It itches me to see the bottle lip with the uneven remnants of the seal. Foil seals usually fully remove and it satisfies my brain. The plastic/cellophane seal on Trader Joe's tubs comes off cleanly maybe half the time. I can't handle the loose edges getting into my hummus.

Am I the only one who thinks about this?

Just reading that made my teeth hurt.  I hate that too, although I don't think I realized until this moment just how much.  

[DeLurker]

52 minutes ago, Moose135 said:

I have one and love it!  I'll also make several things on the weekend, and have meals for the rest of the week so I don't need to bother with cooking when I get home from work.

My brother usually does the bbq one night each weekend.  He cooks a ton of extra so there's stuff for lunches during the week and some meat for a few meals too.  He's been doing that for years, but he opted the volume of extra grilling when his wife became a vegetarian a few years ago.

[Cherry Bomb]

1 hour ago, janestclair said:

I hope your new teacher orientation is better than mine was.  We got no useful information whatsoever, and we went on a bus tour of the schools in the district.  I expected it to deal with practical things like lesson plan formats, and how to handle referrals.  Nope.  It was a cheerleading camp for how great the district is mixed with icebreakers. (Kill me now.)   We get an inservice day after Labor Day, so at most I'll be getting a few hours (in between useless meetings) to set up my classroom the day before we have kids in the building.  I love teaching, really. I just hate the dog and pony show that goes along with it.  Try not to let that bs overwhelm and discourage you, because there will be a lot of it.

Just reading that made my teeth hurt.  I hate that too, although I don't think I realized until this moment just how much.  

I think there are 3 other teachers who are new to the school but not new to teaching like I am. So it will just be the Administrators and us 4 in the New Orientation I believe. I am pretty sure there will be no bus tour and it will focus on learning the ins and outs of the school itself and lesson planning which really will just be for me because I will be brand new. I suppose there will ice breakers involved and getting to know the administration things. The good thing is the first week for Kindergarten in my district is half days so the kids can get the feel for what they should expect. This will also help me settle in as well. 

[StatisticalOutlier]

4 hours ago, MargeGunderson said:

I found Goo Be Gone in pen form once and now wish I had bought several. It works just as well as the spray but not as messy.

My Goo Gone is in a bottle.  I would hate a spray.  Maybe that's why someone says it's messy?  I drop just a few drops to start with, and keep it in the area where I'm working.

 

9 hours ago, voiceover said:

They're all paperbacks, but the covers have coating.  I'll try a little & report back.

I've used it on the covers of books before.  Just be gentle because it can soak through the coating and that will make a mess.  I start with a tiny bit, with the goal to loosen the sticker.  If it's taking a while, I'll wipe it off and kind of start over, just to keep from getting too much on there without realizing it.  A fingernail is my preferred tool. 

Which reminds me, when is somebody going to invent an artificial fingernail with tactile response? 

[Quof]

I use nail polish remover to remove stickers.

[Mindthinkr]

I sometimes turn my blow dryer on and heat the stickers to loosen them. Obviously be careful when dealing with plastic as it can melt. 

[Zola]

Well I had some pretty good success removing the sticker residue from my blinds using nail varnish remover mixed with white vinegar.

I then used a wet-wipe to finish off and all is good!

Still a pain in the arse though.

[StatisticalOutlier]

Here we go again with people peeving.  I was at Lowe's today and there was a sign on the entrance door:  "We are not accepting returns on eclipse glasses."

[Quof]

Quote

I have about an hour's worth of handyman/carpentry type of tasks that need to be done outside.  

I'm hesitant to even say anything, for fear I may jinx it.  

But I may have the solution to all my problems.

Send good vibes my way, My Peeps.  

[ennui]

2 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

Here we go again with people peeving.  I was at Lowe's today and there was a sign on the entrance door:  "We are not accepting returns on eclipse glasses."

And there will be no returns on Halloween costumes after Halloween. It happens every year.

[Quof]

I returned something to Walmart the other day.   It was an inexpensive item of clothing that I had never worn and I decided I would prefer to have those few dollars back than have it sitting in my dresser.   As I was standing in the line I realized there was no tag on it.  It must have come off somewhere, because I swear I never wore it (only bought a week ago, end of season sale).  When I got to the cashier, I said "I wanted to return this, but I just realized it doesn't have the tag."  She didn't examine the garment for signs it had been worn, or to check if they even sold that brand. She took my receipt, scanned the price and gave me my refund.  No questions asked.

It was a bathing suit.

Think of that the next time you consider buying clothing at Walmart.

[Blergh]

I got what you're saying, Quof! This brings to mind another pet peeve.

 

 I'd also like to say that I've seen too many folks there (as well as some other chain stores) trying on loafers, sneakers and sandals without attempting to put on socks or hose. Nope!

 I'd rather pay a little extra and get shoes some salesperson has to retrieve from a back room than worry about catching Athlete's foot and or another fungus or skin disease merely because others didn't bother to encase their feet for a few seconds in socks or hose while deciding whether to buy the footwear. And I DO wear socks/hose when trying on the footwear before buying a so I don't have to depend on whether the store's hosiery is actually clean.

[ennui]

4 hours ago, Blergh said:

 I'd rather pay a little extra and get shoes some salesperson has to retrieve from a back room

Are you assuming that no one else has tried on that pair of shoes? Or that they wore socks? Are you thinking that the minimum wage salesperson is invested in customer hygiene?  

[JTMacc99]

For my fellow cranky people, Busted Tees has a few $12 tee shirts on sale this week. I'm debating between "Don't Invite Me Places" and "SHHH... nobody cares". The latter is a better design, but the former is more my attitude. 

[Blergh]

1 hour ago, ennui said:

Are you assuming that no one else has tried on that pair of shoes? Or that they wore socks? Are you thinking that the minimum wage salesperson is invested in customer hygiene?  

 I'm not naive to the possibility of someone else having tried on said shoes or salespersons not being completely vigilant re customer hygiene but I think it would be less likely a scenario via a shoe store where the shoes are in storage until customers try them out than in a no frills-have-at-it  cheapo shoe spot.  And even a little supervision re footwear beats zero supervision any day!

[ennui]

51 minutes ago, JTMacc99 said:

For my fellow cranky people, Busted Tees has a few $12 tee shirts on sale this week. I'm debating between "Don't Invite Me Places" and "SHHH... nobody cares". The latter is a better design, but the former is more my attitude. 

No one invites me anywhere, so I don't need a shirt. Saved $12!

[StatisticalOutlier]

6 hours ago, Quof said:

Think of that the next time you consider buying clothing at Walmart.

It's one thing for them to take back anything, in the interest of keeping customers happy, but they don't even look at it before putting it back on the shelf.  I was looking at heated throw blankets at Walmart once and there was one in the color I wanted.  But I took a second glance at it, and it was covered with pet hair.

My dad had once bought something it turned out he didn't need/want--I can't remember what it was, but it wasn't food or anything, and it wasn't opened.  I told him he could take it back, and he 100% didn't know that.  Bless his heart.