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

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, southpaw said:

She was making her way around a circular counter of gloves, they were on sale and other women started crowding in around her.  She happened to glance across the counter to the other side and was stunned to see my little brother over there, holding onto the fur coat of a stranger.

I followed the wrong man up the mall escalator when my dad and I were Christmas shopping, thinking it was him.  I think I was about five years old.  I heard from below, "[First and Middle Name], what are you doing up there?" just as we'd arrived at the top, and was briefly quite confused.

I think the only time I deliberately wandered off as a child was when my mom and I were at a toy store selecting a gift for a classmate's birthday party.  I got bored and wandered off to the books, selected one, and sat down to read.  The books were in sort of a nook in a back corner, so that as my mom walked the main aisle, looking up and down each perpendicular aisle for me, she couldn't see me.  She had me paged on the intercom, and I emerged.

[GHScorpiosRule]

Well...since we're talking Christmas songs, I believe I mentioned last year, that though I love the traditional songs, I'm also a sucker for the guy impersonating Porky Pig singing Blue Christmas, as well as the Chipmunks' Christmas Song. But my all time favorites are the few from Bob Rivers' Twisted Christmas. My two top favorites are "The 12 Pains of Christmas," with the "Third thing at Christmas that's such a pain to me...HANGOVERS!" is clearly Archie Bunker from All in the Family, and "The Restroom Door Said Gentleman" which is a riff on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." I always howl at that one. And because I'm bored, here are the lyrics:

"The restroom door said gentlemen, so I just walked inside
I took two steps and realized I'd been taken for a ride
I heard high voices, turned and found the place was occupied
By two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse
What could be worse?
Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse.

The restroom door said gentlemen, it must have been a gag
As soon as I walked in there I ran into some old hag
She sprayed me with a can of mace and smacked me with her bag
I could tell this wouldn't be my day
What can I say?
It just wasn't turning out to be my day

The restroom door said gentlemen and I'd would like to find
The crummy little creep who had the nerve to switch the signs
'Cause I got two black eyes and one high heel up my behind
Now I can't sit with comfort and joy
Boy, oh boy
Now I'll never sit with comfort and joy"

Now, Do you hear what I hear? is one of my favorites, but I hatehatehate Whitney Houston's version of if because the song is hacked--meaning she doesn't sing all the verses. Bing Crosby's version is my favorite.

Edited November 27, 2017 by GHScorpiosRule

[walnutqueen]

2 minutes ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

"The Restroom Door Said Gentleman" which is a riff on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen." I always howl at that one. And because I'm bored, here are the lyrics:

"The restroom door said gentlemen, so I just walked inside
I took two steps and realized I'd been taken for a ride
I heard high voices, turned and found the place was occupied
By two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse
What could be worse?
Than two nuns, three old ladies and a nurse.

The restroom door said gentlemen, it must have been a gag
As soon as I walked in there I ran into some old hag
She sprayed me with a can of mace and smacked me with her bag
I could tell this wouldn't be my day
What can I say?
It just wasn't turning out to be my day

The restroom door said gentlemen and I'd would like to find
The crummy little creep who had the nerve to switch the signs
'Cause I got two black eyes and one high heel up my behind
Now I can't sit with comfort and joy
Boy, oh boy
Now I'll never sit with comfort and joy"

Hilarious!  I just sang it to myself - probably the only Xmas carol I'll sing this year.  Thanks for the chuckles. GHSR!

[bilgistic]

Oh, god, @GHScorpiosRule, you reminded me of that horrid Chipmunks song! For some weird reason, my grandmother had that record and played it ad nauseum every Christmas until my ears bled. She also chain-smoked, drank Tab and ate nabs (Lance Toast Chee crackers) all day.

I'm generally not the biggest fan of Christmas songs, but I blame it on working at Best Buy while in college. This was 20-22 years ago, so I don't remember when in the year the music started, e.g., October or November, but it was terrible. There really aren't that many Christmas songs, so they started to repeat after a while. I worked about 35 hours a week, so I heard all the songs over and over. The worst one was the dogs barking "Jingle Bells". Horrible.

[GHScorpiosRule]

3 minutes ago, bilgistic said:

Oh, god, @GHScorpiosRule, you reminded me of that horrid Chipmunks song! For some weird reason, my grandmother had that record and played it ad nauseum every Christmas until my ears bled. She also chain-smoked, drank Tab and ate nabs (Lance Toast Chee crackers) all day.

I'm generally not the biggest fan of Christmas songs, but I blame it on working at Best Buy while in college. This was 20-22 years ago, so I don't remember when in the year the music started, e.g., October or November, but it was terrible. There really aren't that many Christmas songs, so they started to repeat after a while. I worked about 35 hours a week, so I heard all the songs over and over. The worst one was the dogs barking "Jingle Bells". Horrible.

Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot you loathe that song! And agree on the dogs barking "Jingle Bells."

[peacheslatour]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

I like Christmas Wrapping and Christmas in Hollis, too.  There aren't many traditional Christmas songs I like (in fact, right now I can't come up with anything other than Carol of the Bells), so my Christmas playlist would consist of things like Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis (Tom Waits), River (Joni Mitchell), 2000 Miles (The Pretenders) and Fairytale of New York (The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl). 

Elvis Presley's rendition of Blue Christmas is about as "traditional" as I get, as I just don't care for most Christmas ballads or carols.  Oh, I do like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, but with the original lyrics.

My Christmas music peeve is the very existence of Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time.  That song is astoundingly awful, and if I walk into a store when it's playing, I turn around and come back later.

One of my absolute favorites is Jill Sobule's Merry Christmas from the Family. 

[Qoass]

This is amazing. Back in the Fametracker days there was a Christmas thread and a poster said he was making his annual Holiday Music CD mix. I facetiously asked if I could have a copy and he mailed one to me! On it were Christmas Wrapping, Christmas in Hollis, Fairytale of New York  and Merry Christmas from the Family and more. It's still one of my favorites.

My general rules are no country, no Elvis, no pop tarts.

[peacheslatour]

34 minutes ago, Qoass said:

This is amazing. Back in the Fametracker days there was a Christmas thread and a poster said he was making his annual Holiday Music CD mix. I facetiously asked if I could have a copy and he mailed one to me! On it were Christmas Wrapping, Christmas in Hollis, Fairytale of New York  and Merry Christmas from the Family and more. It's still one of my favorites.

My general rules are no country, no Elvis, no pop tarts.

Yeppity, yep, yep.

[bilgistic]

In a timely coincidence, this just came up in my Twitter feed:

[ABay]

Re: wandering off. According to family lore, I wandered off rather a lot and usually returned with a cookie (I was an adorable child. No idea WTF happened in the ensuing years). I was also hell on wheels in my walker.

Christmas music is my favorite! I like it all. All except Walking a fucking Winter Wonderland. If I never hear that damned shit again, it will be too soon. Instrumental versions of Carol of the Bells (but not the one by Transiberian whatever. It sucks) and instrumental and sung versions of Sleigh Ride (but not the one by the Ronettes. It sucks) are maybe my favorites. But, really, I like too many to name them all.

[bilgistic]

I'm exhausted with people on the internet responding to my saying something is sexist, racist, bigoted, etc., with "So-and-so didn't mean anything/It was a compliment/It's not a big deal/Not everything has sexist, racist, bigoted, etc. undertones."

They did mean it; check your privilege; it is a big deal; and I didn't say everything has undertones; I said this thing does.

GAH!

[Random Noise]

4 hours ago, bilgistic said:

In a timely coincidence, this just came up in my Twitter feed:

I think that's why I see so many of them wearing ear buds.

Regarding kids running around stores and all, I have a major peeve with people who come to their workplace on their day(s) off with yard apes in tow. Especially if they decide to have a coffee and chat for a while. The kids run around "whatcha doin'?" "what's this button do?" "what's this for?" "You gonna eat that chocolate bar?" "Who's this picture of?" "What do these papers say?"

[Random Noise]

Had a bit of a snowstorm early this evening leaving about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground. The roads are a little slippery but nothing of significance for anyone driving with care.

I walked down to one of the local stores to pick up some cat food around 8 this evening. I like to do my shopping during the last hour because there's practically no one in the stores at that time and no lineups at the checkout counter. I got what I was after, and a big carton of egg nog because I'm addicted to the stuff.

I was on my way back home and approaching an intersection when I noticed a Greyhound bus charging up the side street with one of those parcel trailers behind it. It was getting close so I stood back from the crosswalk so the driver could proceed out onto the highway without waiting for me to cross first. Good thing I did.

The driver tried slowing down and slid past the stop sign so he just punched the throttle and fired right on through onto the highway. The parcel trailer he was towing slid right across the road and the bus fish-tailed another 40 or 50 feet while he tried to get it under control.

Glad I wasn't on that bus!

[ratgirlagogo]

14 hours ago, GHScorpiosRule said:

But my all time favorites are the few from Bob Rivers' Twisted Christmas. 

Bob Rivers!  Do you like Rusty Warren? or the brilliant  parodies of her (Dusty Towne) on SCTV:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liOtOSR_Pp0

[bubbls]

 I'll answer that Twitter question in part. Feliz Navidad sends me lunging for the mute button, trampling old ladies and small furry pets in the process. I used to be neutral on it, but since it's played a gazillion times every season I've developed a massive hatred of it. The fact that it's an ear worm only makes it worse. When I'm not hearing it I'm humming it! That Paul McCartney horror is a close second. 

[Qoass]

There are plenty of songs even in my own collection that make me hit that button but Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey makes me want to reach for a gun.

[bilgistic]

Christmas. DONKEY.

[Moose135]

I like Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey...

[partofme]

7 hours ago, bubbls said:

 I'll answer that Twitter question in part. Feliz Navidad sends me lunging for the mute button, trampling old ladies and small furry pets in the process. I used to be neutral on it, but since it's played a gazillion times every season I've developed a massive hatred of it. The fact that it's an ear worm only makes it worse. When I'm not hearing it I'm humming it! That Paul McCartney horror is a close second. 

I will always love Feliz Navidad, it has such a strong association in my head with the Christmas on Sesame Street movie that i used to always watch as a child, where Big Bird vows to stay awake to meet Santa but ends up falling asleep.  

I hate Dominic the Donkey, worst Christmas song.

[Bastet]

How have I never heard of this donkey?  I just looked up the song, and made it through 30 seconds before I couldn't take any more. 

[NutMeg]

On 11/27/2017 at 8:22 PM, southpaw said:

On parents shopping with kids, this is not a peeve, just a story my mom told me.

Mom used to take each of us kids [5 in all] on our very own solo shopping trip with her around this time of year.  This time it was the youngest’s turn.  My little brother was about three, very blonde with a dark patch of hair at the crown, this would eventually also turn blonde and it made him very easy to spot in a crowd of other kids.

Mom’s rule with him was that he had to hold onto her coat at all times when they were out shopping.  She was wearing a fur coat which he loved to pet so she was pretty confident he wouldn’t let go, and she often looked down to check that he was still with her.

She was making her way around a circular counter of gloves, they were on sale and other women started crowding in around her.  She happened to glance across the counter to the other side and was stunned to see my little brother over there, holding onto the fur coat of a stranger.

Mom didn’t want him to see her and to panic so she tried to back out of the crowd and make her way around to the other side of the counter.  Something dropped and crashed, my brother looked up and saw our mother, looked up at the woman whose coat he was clutching and let out a scream.

It took several hugs and kisses and I’m sorry’s to calm my brother down after that experience.  Oh, and a sundae helped too.

That made me smile because I, like your brother, was enamoured with fur as a toddler. I must confess that I even lashed out on random strangers when I was 2-3, just for the pleasure of rubbing my face in FUR! I now realize how shamelessly inappropriately non PC I was as a toddler. My parents got me over running to random strangers by getting me a doll with a fur coat :) This addiction is not over though, now that I'm facing my first winter in a long while, my first purchase was a cape lined with (of course fake, we're not in the 70s anymore, and besides couldn't afford real) fur. Bliss each time I wear it!!  

On 11/27/2017 at 9:42 PM, Bastet said:

so my Christmas playlist would consist of things like Christmas Card From a Hooker in Minneapolis (Tom Waits)

I love that you 1) know it, 2) love it, and 3) are quoting it here. If you also like Blue Valentine, we could become fast friends. 

Otherwise, I never order on Amazon if I can do otherwise. I hate how small shops have been suffering and I figure I have to vote with my wallet, so I still go local. I try to focus on independent shops or local chains when I can. I don't share the horror about physical shops that I read about here, but maybe that's because as a freelancer I have the luxury of not having to shop on weekends or black fridays... [shudder at the thought...] What I like with local stores is that a connection in build over time, and I may be showed things I wouldn't have noticed that actually look good on me. I'm aware that people say the same about their online experience, and in some way it may be true, but still, personal touch will beat algorithm for me anytime. 

[bilgistic]

4 hours ago, Bastet said:

How have I never heard of this donkey?  I just looked up the song, and made it through 30 seconds before I couldn't take any more. 

I never have, either (I don't think), but I'm not going to find and listen to it. Thanks for your review, which saved me the experience.

Edited November 29, 2017 by bilgistic

[ParadoxLost]

9 hours ago, Qoass said:

There are plenty of songs even in my own collection that make me hit that button but Dominic the Italian Christmas Donkey makes me want to reach for a gun.

This is awful.

On the other hand, I like this for reasons I can't explain.   It has the same effect on me as being seriously drunk.  I sway. I swing. I go totally mellow. I have no idea why.

[riley702]

Is that the same guy who sings "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"?

[bilgistic]

It sure does sound like the same guy. It's a waltz, isn't it?

[ParadoxLost]

Yes, same guy as Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.  When I was a kid, that was popular and my parents bought the cassette tape and that is how I learned of poor Percy. I appreciated that despite being able to rhyme wetter and better, they rhymed wetta and betta. 

Edited November 29, 2017 by ParadoxLost

[bilgistic]

See also: "Under the Sea" from "The Little Mermaid".

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 11/26/2017 at 9:29 PM, AgentRXS said:

I have no tolerance for unruly children, and it really gets my blood boiling if I see that the reason why the parents are allowing such behavior is because they are absorbed with their phones. I have to resist the urge to throw their phones out of their hands and say "Put your phone down and parent your child, asshole!"

I take it as a challenge to make the kid shut up myself, without the parent realizing it.  First step is to catch the kid's eye, which is easy to do.  Then dirty looks, dirty looks accompanied by pointing my finger at them, dirty looks while doing the finger-over-lips "hush" thing with appropriate finger pointing.  Sometimes shaking my head "no."  All while looking casual if the parent looks up.

If the kid is running around, I'll stop him and tell him, "Stop running around and go back to your mother."

It makes me feel less powerless.

[AuntieL]

The year  "Grandma Got Run oOver by a Reindeer" first came out, it was playing on the radio when my whole family was driving somewhere. After we got to our destination I realized my youngest sister was still humming it, fortunately softly. We were at our grandmother's funeral. 

[BookWoman56]

Even as a kid, I thought Christmas songs were the worst. Now with decades of having them blasted nonstop from Thanksgiving to Christmas day itself, I hate them all pretty much equally. The one exception is that if I am watching Love Actually, I will not FF through the girl singing All I Want for Christmas, although that's less to do with liking the song (admittedly, the girl who performs it does so quite well) and more to do with enjoying the shots of the audience members. 

As for Amazon versus local shops, I hate shopping. I hate malls, I hate crowds, and I hate trying to find a damn parking place at stores.  I order stuff from Amazon enough that my prime membership pays for itself through the free shipping. I don't order everything from there, but I will say that I have gotten some textbooks for my daughter's college courses from Amazon when the college bookstore either didn't have them at all or was charging a much higher price.  Most of the appeal for me has to do with being able to order and download books and videos right then; I also do the kindle unlimited option and have read a lot of books for free, and then purchased some by the same author, that I probably would not have read if I had to pay for them as individual sales rather than a fairly small set monthly fee.  They don't yet offer grocery delivery to my area, but the regional grocery chain I use has just started offering both curbside pickup and home delivery, and I will definitely have to check that out. For produce, yeah, I'll probably still want to shop in person but for canned goods, cleaning supplies, etc., if there is a way I can avoid setting foot into the store, I will absolutely try to do so.

[AuntieL]

I gotta admit, I love almost all Christmas songs, except for Dominick the Donkey.  It's one of the few songs, period, that I turn off if it comes on. I understand not liking to shop or not being able to, and Amazon is a godsend for those people. I've used it for certain things. I just wish it didn't have such troubling effect on brick and mortar stores.  When my sister picked me up at the airport to visit during Thanksgiving she had to go back to work and maintenance was fixing something at her apartment,  so she drop me off at Barnes & Noble for a couple of hours. I don't have one near my house. I was in heaven. I want Amazon and stores to be able to coexist with each other. 

[DeLurker]

Not a fan of most Christmas music, but do have a cd I don't mind - A Black Tie Christmas.  No words and slightly jazzy versions - definitely Easy Listening, but at least it does not make me want to impale my own ears.

[StatisticalOutlier]

I don't like Christmas or its music, but back in elementary school, in choir class we'd sing "Little Drummer Boy," and something about the "pa ra pa pum pum" was so soft and sweet.  I've never forgotten it.

[Bastet]

6 hours ago, AuntieL said:

When my sister picked me up at the airport to visit during Thanksgiving she had to go back to work and maintenance was fixing something at her apartment,  so she drop me off at Barnes & Noble for a couple of hours. I don't have one near my house. I was in heaven. I want Amazon and stores to be able to coexist with each other. 

Barnes & Noble (and Borders) caused the death of most independent bookstores, so there was a certain schadenfreude in seeing Amazon come along and kill them off.  I still have one independent bookstore in my neighborhood, so I have them order me anything they don't stock, but who knows how much longer they can hang on; they may very well be one more increase in their lease from having to shut down.  I think the local B&N still exists, but I haven't been to that shopping center in quite a while.  I don't think I'll ever make the switch to e-books other than for extended travel, so I want there to be someplace I can go browse/buy books in person.

[PRgal]

What's the deal with people walking SO SLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWLLLLYYY because they're deep in conversation or completely unaware of their surroundings?  You ask to be excused and they think you're crazy.  These are NOT people on the phone.  These are NOT people listening to music.  They're also NOT old.  

[AuntieL]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Barnes & Noble (and Borders) caused the death of most independent bookstores, so there was a certain schadenfreude in seeing Amazon come along and kill them off.  I still have one independent bookstore in my neighborhood, so I have them order me anything they don't stock, but who knows how much longer they can hang on; they may very well be one more increase in their lease from having to shut down.  I think the local B&N still exists, but I haven't been to that shopping center in quite a while.  I don't think I'll ever make the switch to e-books other than for extended travel, so I want there to be someplace I can go browse/buy books in person.

Yeah the Borders that was here killed an independent bookstore that I loved. But then I grew to love Borders. Now it's BAM (Books-a-Million). Which is OK but not as good as B&N or Borders.  I just always want to have a bookstore around. 

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, PRgal said:

What's the deal with people walking SO SLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWLLLLYYY because they're deep in conversation or completely unaware of their surroundings?  You ask to be excused and they think you're crazy.  These are NOT people on the phone.  These are NOT people listening to music.  They're also NOT old.  

Guilty as charged.  I have disabilities now, but I've been a chronic slow walker (and talker) my whole life.  My college roommate and I could not walk to class together - we'd actually stop walking to talk face-to-face (most likely in the middle of a heavily traveled sidewalk).

I am your peeve.

[auntlada]

I've probably mentioned this before, but it's Christmas now -- or near it anyway -- so it's coming up more and more in things I read. Why must people talking about gifting things? What's wrong with the word "give"? I don't gift presents. I do, however, occasionally give presents to people.

And speaking of Christmas, I just thought of another one. It is not the Christmas season. It is Advent. (If you do not attend a Christian church, you can ignore this one. It doesn't really apply to you.) Talking about this as the Christmas season is like saying the Easter season starts on Ash Wednesday. (I do not belong to a church/denomination that follows the liturgical calendar. I just wish it did sometimes.)

[ParadoxLost]

So I was driving home today and flipping through the radio stations and surprise, I still know all the words to "How Do You Talk to An Angel"

I'm really irritated with my long term memory for that one.

That's the theme song to the show the Heights.  Think of it as 90210 trying to be St Elmo's Fire while joining a band.

Edited November 30, 2017 by ParadoxLost

[bubbls]

On 11/28/2017 at 4:18 PM, Bastet said:

How have I never heard of this donkey?  I just looked up the song, and made it through 30 seconds before I couldn't take any more. 

I'd never heard it until  last year when I was listening to the seasonal music station on cable. Once an hour you're sure to hear it. It too is an ear worm, but the only words I'd remember is the heehaw. Mr. Bubbles was wondering why I was walking around the house heehawing quietly to myself. 

Edited November 29, 2017 by bubbls

[janestclair]

I also kind of like the Christmas donkey - I think if you live in the NYC area, it's a requirement.  I loathe the Paul McCartney song, the Chipmunk one, and the one where the woman in the song is buying cranberry sauce in the grocery store.  Also Christmas Shoes.  I mostly like the traditional ones, like God Ye Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (any version, but especially the one with Sarah McLachlan and Barenaked Ladies) and any version of Silent Night. I refuse to listen to any Christmas music until closer to actual Christmas though.   

[bubbls]

I thought by tuning into the Christian stations I could catch some old carols. I got excited because God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen was playing, but nooooo, after that it was one boring modern "Christmas" song after another, and even worse, in that annoying contemporary Christian chord progression. 

[bilgistic]

"Christmas Shoes" is an abomination.

SNL did a riff on it with "Wishin' Boot". It's good stuff.

[walnutqueen]

4 hours ago, PRgal said:

What's the deal with people walking SO SLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWLLLLYYY because they're deep in conversation or completely unaware of their surroundings?  You ask to be excused and they think you're crazy.  These are NOT people on the phone.  These are NOT people listening to music.  They're also NOT old.  

Maybe they are strolling.  Something people who aren't in such a rush to get somewhere still do that, on occasion.  One doesn't need to be on the phone or listening to music, or indeed be OLD to enjoy a simple leisurely walk.  If I'm going to be unaware of my surroundings (almost impossible on a lovely stroll), I'd much rather be deep in a conversation with another human being than be plastered to some device.

Which leads in nicely to my pet peeve - devices.  When a phone becomes a permanent extension of your hand, umbilical cord, and virtual pacifier - you may be missing out on real life.

[Bastet]

5 hours ago, PRgal said:

What's the deal with people walking SO SLLLLOOOOOOOOOOWWWLLLLYYY because they're deep in conversation or completely unaware of their surroundings? 

My slow walking peeve is people who cross the street at a pace more suited to a nature stroll, when there are cars waiting to turn as they amble along.  Get it in gear!

[ParadoxLost]

So I was driving home tonight and saw a collection of blow up yard decorations.  One was a Stormtrooper holding a candy cane.  I get it, you love Christmas.  You love Star Wars.  But I think that maybe you have never actually seen Star Wars because of all the Star Wars characters to use to decorate the Holidays, that's kind of the wrong one.

As I drove away I thought maybe its me and it was a Snow man, but its not.  I looked on line and these exist.

I'm semi seriously considering decorating their mailbox as Jar Jar Binks in Christmas attire in the middle of the night.  But that's probably some kind of federal offense.

[ABay]

Seconding @auntlada on the use of "gifting."

[walnutqueen]

43 minutes ago, Bastet said:

My slow walking peeve is people who cross the street at a pace more suited to a nature stroll, when there are cars waiting to turn as they amble along.  Get it in gear!

Which is why, I believe, the expression "Hold your horses" was invented.

Those pesky damned pedestrians, ambulating away as if they were meant to do so.  The very nerve of them all!!!

(However, if they're crossing the street illegally, I think you get points for hitting them).  ;-)

[PRgal]

1 hour ago, ParadoxLost said:

So I was driving home tonight and saw a collection of blow up yard decorations.  One was a Stormtrooper holding a candy cane.  I get it, you love Christmas.  You love Star Wars.  But I think that maybe you have never actually seen Star Wars because of all the Star Wars characters to use to decorate the Holidays, that's kind of the wrong one.

As I drove away I thought maybe its me and it was a Snow man, but its not.  I looked on line and these exist.

I'm semi seriously considering decorating their mailbox as Jar Jar Binks in Christmas attire in the middle of the night.  But that's probably some kind of federal offense.

I saw a humongous, inflatable Darth Vader once.  But that was Halloween.  And Darth Vader is good for Halloween.  

[Random Noise]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

My slow walking peeve is people who cross the street at a pace more suited to a nature stroll, when there are cars waiting to turn as they amble along.  Get it in gear!

Just honk. I'll go faster, I promise.

By mere coincidence, I did a few errands for my niece so I borrowed her car for the afternoon. School had just gotten out and about a dozen high school kids were crossing the street. Then three or four of them looked back and noticed another five of their friends weren't crossing the road with them. They stopped in the middle of the road, started walking back, stopped again and waited for their friends to catch up, then the whole group finally crossed to the other side.