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

[Sun-Bun]

Speaking of which, I know I'm gonna catch flack for this even though I'm a HUGE pet/animal-lover, but it sorta disgusts me that so many people sleep with their pets.

I'd have a house full of critters if my schedule permitted it, but at the same time, I have the same thoughts on sleeping with pets in the bed as parents who sleep with their children in the bed:

It just seems inappropriate, gross, and really makes for an obvious lack of sound sleep and safe boundaries.

Like I've stayed at friends' houses and don't mind one bit if their cats or dogs somehow stop in to visit my bed, but I'm always woken up and felt a bit annoyed that the pets aren't taught better boundaries and feel entitled to just hop into a bed with anyone.

I remember staying with my grandma as a teen and her cat sometimes getting in the bed with me, but I couldn't sleep because the damned thing spent hours either licking itself or walking around the bed or just coming and going in and off the bed all night. Who could sleep like that?!

And the there's the fur/pet dander going all over your bed, their dirty paws and butts being rubbed all over your blankets and bedsheets, the constant coming and going on and off the bed all night...no thanks. I'd have to teach my pets to stay in their own beds, even if it meant keeping my bedroom off limits.

And I know cats have a tendency to force themselves onto a bed, to which I'd immediately remove them and close the door upon my bedtime.

I was reading a thread on Facebook recently about cat-owners laughing about not moving their cats off their beds if they're already asleep there, or else those cats would get mad and scratch/bite them if they moved them?

Nuh-uh, Hells no to that, demon cats---I'm the master of my domain, and if you're sleep in MY house you're gonna sleep where *I* say you do or you can just stay outside.

((maybe that's why I'm more of a dog fan anyway; they typically don't overstep their boundaries and can be trained to stay where they're meant to sleep))

[topanga]

 

What is so impossible about not referencing the source book in TV show threads that are clearly labeled No Book Talk? I'd like to discuss what I watched on my [device name] without having to scroll through someone's tl;dr treatise about their disappointment at how unfaithful the adaptation has been, changes between the two versions, how much better the book is, etc. And yes, sneaking in one sentence that refers to the book in a larger post still counts as talking about the book.

Savvy Elementary fans can be like this, too. "Sherlock didn't do that in the book." "Watson was more like this." "And where is that character????" Wah-wah-wah. I'm being a little facetious here. I know what it's like to watch source material being altered in a bad way to fit the big (or small) screen. And I'll admit that I've never read any Sherlock Holmes, so I might be naive on this point. But based on comments from posters, the changes seem minor. 

 

 

I know it can't be true but it sure seems like I always get stuck behind the Person With Complicated Checkout Issues: beaucoup coupons, some of which have expired, pricing questions, leaky milk cartons that need to be replaced, verifying which specific items are/are not on sale, special bagging requests, register tape running out, going back to get that one item they forgot, slowly starting to write a check (a freaking check!) only after all items are completely rung up, etc. Then of course not moving out of the checkout lane until change and checkbooks are put back in the purse, receipt is tucked into the wallet, and chat with the bagboy is complete.

 

But that's not even my peeve.  :)

I sometimes end up by being that person (by no fault of my own, I swear). For some reason, my coupons don't always scan, sale prices on items don't always ring up, and the self-checkout lines are often anything but--the scanner doesn't recognize an item I tried to scan, or it doesn't trust me when I say those are my bags on the scale and not a pound of meat I'm trying to steal.

 

When I'm in a hurry--or on a day I'm not penny-pinching, I don't bother the cashier about coupons or small price errors. But when I do have to get the cashier involved, I always apologize to the person behind me. Not because the hold-up is my fault, but because I know it sucks to be stuck in line behind someone like me. 

[auntlada]

One of our cats sleeps curled up next to me in bed. Most of the time she doesn't bother me. Occasionally when I roll iver and disturb her, she will wake up enough to want some petting. But she will go right to sleep again. We used t keep the door closed, but she was more annoying then and did keep me and everyone else awake by scratching and meowing at the door all night.

I don't worry about their hair or anything else because it's not like they don't sleep on the bed during the day. And the hair is everywhere anyway, even on stuff the cats have never touched.

[glowlights]

I am probably in the minority but I think that when you are in front of the cashier, that is YOUR time and everyone behind you needs to just wait their turn.

 

PREACH! I get so annoyed by people behind me who try to start tossing things on the conveyor belt before I've finished putting my items on, or who shove their cart into me while I'm waiting for the card reader to finish scanning the chip. Did we all not learn how to take turns in kindergarten? 

 

Lordonia, do you have a key to your sister's place? I think it would be fun to go find the biggest, gaudiest gewgaws at Goodwill or garage sales and leave them around her house. "Gee, I just didn't couldn't find a spot in my place so I knew you wouldn't mind..."

 

My pet peeve today is stealth insanity. Like, if someone thinks she's an ancient Atlantean who has been present at every major event in history, including King Arthur's round table, and that she receives secret advance knowledge of everything before it hits the news because the world is controlled by a cabal and she's in on it, and she feels sorry for me because I'm a "mere human" and will never know the magic that is her eternal existence.... she needs to GIVE ME THAT INFO UP FRONT.  Instead of hiding behind a 9 to 5 job and acting all normal until I finally invite her out to coffee. Sheesh. There needs to be some sort of insanity disclosure law.

[backformore]

Speaking of which, I know I'm gonna catch flack for this even though I'm a HUGE pet/animal-lover, but it sorta disgusts me that so many people sleep with their pets.

I'd have a house full of critters if my schedule permitted it, but at the same time, I have the same thoughts on sleeping with pets in the bed as parents who sleep with their children in the bed:

It just seems inappropriate, gross, and really makes for an obvious lack of sound sleep and safe boundaries.

'........

((maybe that's why I'm more of a dog fan anyway; they typically don't overstep their boundaries and can be trained to stay where they're meant to sleep))

I agree. I don't want to put my face on a pillow that had a dog but on it. (Cats aren't even in the picture for me, I'm severely allergic)

And, unless you bathe your dog daily and scrub their paws, there are all kinds of nastiness living under and around their nails. Nope, no animals in my bed, ever.

[topanga]

My pet peeve today is stealth insanity. Like, if someone thinks she's an ancient Atlantean who has been present at every major event in history, including King Arthur's round table, and that she receives secret advance knowledge of everything before it hits the news because the world is controlled by a cabal and she's in on it, and she feels sorry for me because I'm a "mere human" and will never know the magic that is her eternal existence.... she needs to GIVE ME THAT INFO UP FRONT.  Instead of hiding behind a 9 to 5 job and acting all normal until I finally invite her out to coffee. Sheesh. There needs to be some sort of insanity disclosure law.

But aren't most people a little crazy if you dig hard enough? Granted, your co-worker sounds more than a little crazy. Maybe you're one of those people who's so kind and inviting that people feel free to open up when they're around you. Their legs, crazy theories, etc. 

[zxy556575]

I couldn't sleep because the damned thing spent hours either licking itself or walking around the bed or just coming and going in and off the bed all night. Who could sleep like that?!

 

Nobody! My cat isn't a howler, but she is a hurler and will repeatedly launch herself against the bedroom door until I get up and let her in, which then I'm fully awake. As to pet-butt, hair and vomit, they are ooky but the rest of the furniture is already covered in whatever is there. It's one of the many germy things in life I purposefully close my mind to lest I end up cocooning myself in antibacterial wipes.

 

Waiting in lines per se doesn't bother me, but I always play an internal game of Checkout Roulette in the grocery store. I cruise the lanes to take in all the variables, then make my choice and the clock starts to see if I get through faster than people in the other lanes. So if I get stuck behind someone, I'm a lane loser. Booby prize! (I'm also really bad at the game and lose quite consistently.)

 

Work peeve: I retired in December but have been working as a consultant for the same company. My contract and statement of work specify no more than 8 hours a week and encompass only projects X, Y, and Z. Yesterday the person who supervises me asked if I would work full time and take over projects A and B while someone is out for two weeks. Uh, HELL NO? She was all, "It's okay if you say no," but she knew I would so why put me on the spot?

 

Frankly, even squeezing out 8 hours a week is interfering with my full-time retirement laziness. :)

[glowlights]

But aren't most people a little crazy if you dig hard enough? Granted, your co-worker sounds more than a little crazy. Maybe you're one of those people who's so kind and inviting that people feel free to open up when they're around you. Their legs, crazy theories, etc. 

 

Well now I feel bad. I agree we're all a little crazy in our own ways. Hell, I talk to squirrels...

 

Wait a minute. Are you part of the Atlantean secret cabal disinformation team?

[auntlada]

Waiting in lines per se doesn't bother me, but I always play an internal game of Checkout Roulette in the grocery store. I cruise the lanes to take in all the variables, then make my choice and the clock starts to see if I get through faster than people in the other lanes. So if I get stuck behind someone, I'm a lane loser. Booby prize! (I'm also really bad at the game and lose quite consistently.)

 

It's nice to see other people play these sorts of games. I play The Amazing Race as I drive around town going places. You know, if this were the race, would this be the fastest way to go or is there a better way? Is the light where you know you'll get to turn eventually better or is it better to take a chance on an intersection without a light where you might have to wait a long time, but you might get to go right away? Which streets have fewer stop signs? Which streets have too many cars parked on them or too many slow people driving down them? (The areas around the pharmacies have that. Lots of older people driving very slowly to the pharmacy.)

[hoosier80]

Regarding the grocery checkout line, I'm usually pretty patient, but one time stands out.  People ahead of me had mostly produce, with a HUGE bunch of bananas.  I mean I was thinking how in the hell will they use those up before they go bad when I saw the multiple bunches they had.  I think they had at least one fourth of the display of bananas.  Maybe they were freezing them or making a bakery full of banana bread, beats me.  So everything got weighed/scanned, then they put in their assistance card (not sure what type).  Oh, they were over the limit, by a lot.  Then it's a good 20 minutes or more of lets try the combinations to see what will go on the card.  I was boxed in that line or I would've switched to another line, plus every open cashier was about 6 people deep (after work crowd).  The husband goes back to the produce aisle to bring back more alternatives.  The clerk was keeping their cool but it was an endless litany of try this or what about this and that?   This past Sunday I saw one person with their cart full of Clorox bleach spray and wipes.  The entire cart was up to the brim with spray and wipes. The woman was sorting through coupons and calculating.  I carefully steered my cart with a few items far, far away.  

 

Tonight, I got my few grocery items, it was a quick in/out.  The only complaint was the bakery item I got in a box, the box started collapsing.  Milk hit the ground as I was trying to rescue the box from falling apart and spilling out the contents as I loaded it into my car. The 'snout' of the bottle is now smooshed in a bit.  No milk was spilled.

 

I then went to get my burger at McD's.  That's what I wanted all day, just to get a few groceries, then get a burger and go home.  It's one of those two ordering lanes that merge into one.  I was all alone at the speaker at one lane, with the cars backed up ahead of me - no one moved for a few minutes, so I couldn't pull up.  The asshole at the second speaker, who got there a good 4 to 5 minutes after me, darts ahead of me to get into the merged line of cars as soon as they all moved up.  Almost hit me.  I'm like asshole, the orders are placed at the window in order of orders taken.  Then the next car in that lane, they wanted to go ahead of me, which was stupid because the front of my car was already blocking them.  People just need to wait their turn and to also show some common courtesy and sense.

[Quof]

I nearly got t-boned in an intersection tonight.  I entered on a green light when a car coming from my left totally blew a red light.  It wasn't even close, like he had entered when it was yellow.  Nope, red, red, red.  The best part?   It was a police car.  No lights, no sirens.  Apparently he just didn't feel like stopping.   Had I not swerved, it would have been an interesting discussion. 

[DeLurker]

A former boss got rear ended by a state trooper before. - just a tap though. He ended up getting a card and told if he ever got pulled over for speeding or "something" to give the card and ask whoever stopped him to call. No guarantees but the trooper would try to smooth it out.

[WhitneyWhit]

I have a few pet peeves...

 

I detest the word "hater" and the fact that you can no longer have a negative opinion without that word being thrown at you. I also detest how certain female celebrities (like a singer whose name rhymes with Saylor Twift) will trot out feminism anytime they even the slightest bit of criticism. Your vagina does not put you above criticism.

 

Another one are those shoes that look like regular sneakers, but they have wheels. A couple weeks ago I was in the grocery store and as I turned a corner, here comes a kid with those shoes and crashes right into me, he knocks my basket out of my hand, lemons go flying all over creation, and this snot nosed little brat  looks at me and goes "Dude!", that flew all over me and I said "Dude my ass, does this look like a damn roller rink to you?". Well, a couple minutes later, his mother corners me in the bakery and wants to know just why I cursed at her kid and just like I did with her kid, I asked her if this looks like a damn roller rink to her and told her to teach her kid to have some common courtesy when in public. 

[bosawks]

I'm find with "rounding up" at the grocery store express lane but rounding up from 7 items is not 20!  Come on people.

 

Although I do have a funny express lane story.  I was behind some impatient douche who shoved the items of the person in front of him to make room for his items, one of which was a bag from the bakery department.  When the bakery item came up the checker, and she must have been all of 17, asked what was in the bag, which was packed to the gills, this asshole gets macho leans into her space and says two bagels.  The checker just stares at him and stares at him and stares at him, quirks her eyebrow points and says "two plus how many security counts out would equal what?"  and douchenozzle mutters twelve to which she replies "thank you" to a round of snickering.

 

To cap it off she asked him if he needed assistance to his car and wished him a nice day.

 

I wish I was that self-possessed at that age, hell, I wish I was that self-possessed now.

[magicdog]

 

I nearly got t-boned in an intersection tonight.  I entered on a green light when a car coming from my left totally blew a red light.  It wasn't even close, like he had entered when it was yellow.  Nope, red, red, red.  The best part?   It was a police car.  No lights, no sirens.  Apparently he just didn't feel like stopping.

 

Several years ago, I had a similar incident occur.  I was on my way to work (I work grave so it's about 12:30am) when I noticed on my left was the rear end of a car.  My first thought was, "That's not right!"  

 

Suddenly, this car that was driving backwards passes me and gets in the lane ahead of me and positions himself sideways as if waiting for me to T-bone him.  I slammed on the brakes and stopped just in time.  I realized it was an NHP car (Nevada Hwy Patrol) which, promptly left the scene at the next exit.  To this day I don't know if the incident was a true near accident, or if the trooper was trying to set me up somehow.  It seemed very strange.

[glowlights]

I nearly got t-boned in an intersection tonight.  I entered on a green light when a car coming from my left totally blew a red light.  It wasn't even close, like he had entered when it was yellow.  Nope, red, red, red.  The best part?   It was a police car.  No lights, no sirens.  Apparently he just didn't feel like stopping.   Had I not swerved, it would have been an interesting discussion. 

 

Jeez! I'm glad you were able to react in time and got out of it safely.

[krimimimi]

So the dog was out of sorts. Not so you could describe it in a useful fashion, but pet owners will know what I mean. She was being unusually clingy and odd and listless and sleepy, didn't move around like usual, just rolled up in her bed for prolonged naps. She's a three year old German Shepherd, and she normally moves around a lot. (Spoilers: seems she was battling a virus and should be fine soon.)

After two days of this, we decided to brave the vets. That's a huge thing, because after an injury to her paw that required surgery, the approach of the vets involved was to keep her on virtually no pain pills so she wouldn't move around as much. That worked, but it was apparently very painful, and she's neither forgotten nor forgiven, so trips to the vet now *really* suck.

By this point she had a fever, but the vet couldn't tell what was wrong, because the symptoms hadn't progressed enough. So she offers to do a blood test. At this rate, it was likely that we'd be back to do one in a day or two, and we hate going to the vet now about as much as the poor dog, so we sigh and agree to fork over the extra cash, and she gives the dog a shot to sink her fever and for aches pains. We pay a small fortune and leave, and within the hour, the dog is feeling visibly better.

So much so, in fact, that she then proceeds to eat the kitchen compost. *sigh*

Yeah, because *that's* good for her. Hasn't done it since she was a pup. I guess this was partly in protest for the trip to the vet's. Needed that like a hole in the head.

[potatoradio]

 

I detest the word "hater" and the fact that you can no longer have a negative opinion without that word being thrown at you. I also detest how certain female celebrities (like a singer whose name rhymes with Saylor Twift) will trot out feminism anytime they even the slightest bit of criticism. Your vagina does not put you above criticism.

 

Erm, that's "Tay-Tay" to you. Hater.

 

Just kidding. 

 

A hoo-hah does not a feminist make and people don't criticize you because they think women don't deserve to be so rich or popular or powerful; they criticize you because you've morphed into kind of a scary Halo-esque brat, T-Swizz. Feminism is earned. Go earn it.

 

I also can't stand that opinions are either "haterade" or "drinking KoolAid."  Is there no room anymore for complexity or nuance? 

 

I just want to apologize to anyone stuck behind me at a pet food store. First, the coupons are good only for enormous quantities (20+ cans) and, of course, the store doesn't have boxes or anything, so each can is separate and takes forever to pile on the counter. Then, I usually screw up and think I've gotten "tender morsels deluxe" when instead I've picked up "tender morsels supreme." This takes some finagling. Then, by the time I'm rung up, so much finagling fries the system and a manager must come over to reboot. Then, the friggin' card swipe. Here's my peeve: why do I have to try swiping six or seven times? Fast, slow, with paper, without paper, backwards, gettin' jiggy wid it...I mean, come on, just let me type in the d*mn account. Why else do you have a keypad on your swiper? Gah!!! And, no, I do not have another card, or cash, and, huh, ya don't take checks? Well, I ain't walking out of here without all 4000000 cans of food, so ya'll better get cracking on this technology here...

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by potatoradio

[backformore]

Ok - no discussion of feminism is complete without Matt McGorry - an actor who is proud to call himself a feminist.   For International Women's day, he created this shirt, proceeds going to NARAL - for reproductive rights.

 

 

[ABay]

Check all that apply.

[Qoass]

Well, here's a golden oldie:  I went to the store this morning and stocked up on lots of stuff I needed, got to work and realized I forgot to buy the ONE THING I'd gone to the store to buy.   Grrrrr.

 

[JTMacc99]

Oy. I do that. A lot.

 

My specialty is getting back to the car, unpacking the cart, sitting down and as I go to put the keys in the ignition, "Oh DAMMIT!"

 

At least I usually remember before I get home.

[DeLurker]

Last night I had to take my daughter to an appointment.  At one intersection, the left hand turn lane gets backed up to the point it blocks one of the two lanes to go straight.  Everyone who uses the road regularly knows to go to the far right lane until you pass the backup and then slip over to the left lane to cross the intersection.  Which is what I always do because right after I get through the intersection, my turn is the first left which comes up pretty quick.

 

Yesterday, the driver in front of me is doing the same thing, but STOPS when he gets right before the intersection and turns on his left blinker so he can get some sympathetic person to let him into the left turn lane at the front.  Which they will since he is blocking the other people who are stuck behind him on green when they simply want to go through the intersection.  Which is me and I can't go around him due to traffic in the right lane.  So I think Dumb Ass!

 

While my daughter is in the appointment, I run some errands.  On my way back going through the same intersection, the person in front of me turns left from the middle lane so he gets to cut in front of all the other drivers who have been waiting.  Ugh!

 

After I get my daughter and we are heading home.  I stop at a 4 way stop.  And then I just sit there because I am waiting for the light to turn green, which clearly isn't going to happen because it is a 4 way stop.  There's someone behind me at the stop sign and he/she just waits patiently - they don't blow the horn, they don't yell Dumb Ass!, don't go around me (there are 2 lanes and I am in the right).  When I finally figure out my bonehead error - Duh!  I go and am totally mortified.  After getting through the intersection, the other driver passes me at normal speed and goes on their merry way. 

 

My mistake was totally unintentional, but it was a reminder to me that maybe some of the Dumb Ass stuff I see and get irritated about is unintentional too.  And as long as no one got hurt, I shouldn't spend much more time on it.

[zxy556575]

My mistake was totally unintentional, but it was a reminder to me that maybe some of the Dumb Ass stuff I see and get irritated about is unintentional too. And as long as no one got hurt, I shouldn't spend much more time on it.

 

Totally agree!

 

but

 

I can understand someone screwing up that left turn because they didn't realize there was such a long backup and hadn't moved to the correct lane in time. Everyone does things like that. But come on. Take the next left, or the next right and circle back. There's no reason to snarl up traffic and maybe cause an accident. People act as if their lives depend on being able to take that exact turn.

 

My traffic peeve is an intersection near me that crosses a larger, 4 lane street. People turn right off the main street and then immediately want to enter the driveway of a gas station on the left. Their oncoming traffic is frequently backed up waiting for the light. If those drivers haven't left a gap to allow people to turn into the gas station, the left turners will sit there with their blinkers on, which then backs up other drivers behind them who are turning right. What gripes me is that there is another entrance to the gas station 200 feet up! Just drive to that one and enter the station from the back.

 

Of course there are also drivers exiting the gas station who need to cut over to the left lane to make a turn, as well as people exiting the bank parking lot across the street who also need to merge in. To make me even itchier, drivers can go through the intersection and turn right directly into the gas station from the main street, which is in fact easier than making a right, then a left. I basically hate that intersection.

Edited March 12, 2016 by lordonia

[Quof]

Try living in Canada, where every other street corner is home to a Tim Horton's and the drive-thru traffic blocks the intersection from 7-9 a.m. every day.  Each day on my way to work, I feel I am building my good karma by yielding to a driver when I have the right of way, at least once per trip.  But not if they are entering a F*%&%ing Tim Horton's. Those bastards are the Evil Empire.

[bosawks]

Welcome to South Jersey, land of jug handles.

[bmasters9]

There is a weird thing in the Cherry Hill/Camden, NJ area. That is, weird if you are from a little town in NC and it is your first trip, in an extremely stressful situation at that. On a main four lane road you can't make a left turn at an intersection. So you go to the next one. Same thing. Next. Same thing. Then you notice some signs. You have these turn in roads that take you to the next road that you want to make a left turn onto. You get to the road, turn left, go to the stop ligh/t and go through the intersection that you wanted to turn left onto from the main road. I guess it makes sense if you know about it but dang, it was very confusing.

Why would Camden, NJ make you go through all those steps just to make a left turn?!

[auntlada]

I have a couple of things this morning.

 

Why can't people read something and think, "Wow, that sounds really far-fetched. Maybe I'd better check the facts on that before I share that Facebook post. Maybe I should at least Google to see if a 14-year-old was actually abducted from a specific store in a specific location of a specific town." There are so many places now that debunk things, but even if there weren't, something like that would make the news. When a 14-year-old disappears, it's news. Now, how exactly they'd know that she was abducted by sex traffickers unless she had been found and people arrested, I don't know. (But I sincerely doubt there is a group of Malaysian/Asian looking -- whatever that is -- sex traffickers wearing FFA jackets so they can kidnap kids at an animal show. Shouldn't that sound at least a little bit out there and make  you want to look into it?)

 

Also, I've been very good and not told other mothers and about-to-be mothers to get all those blankets and crap out of their newborns' cribs, but have these people never heard of SIDS? Yeah, they don't know what causes a lot of it (probably most), but I'm pretty sure there have been documented cases of babies being smothered in blankets and pillows and crib bumpers and stuffed animals because they wallow into them and don't have the mobility to get out. I mean, I probably carried it a bit far, not giving him a blanket until he was 2 (I was paranoid, and he sleeps hot anyway), but just because they sell all that stuff for babies and it's cute (debatable) doesn't mean you should use it. I've never said anything because I hate the know-it-all mothers online, but oh, how I want to.

 

Thought of another one. What is so spectacular about bicycle riding that makes bicycle riders better than everyone else? I swear it's like a cult, probably similar to what runners were a few years ago. (I don't see much from runners any more. I mean they post about their races, but they're not trying to recruit everyone else, as the bicyclists are doing.) And why is riding a bicycle superior to running? I like riding bicycles, but I prefer to ride casually (if I still had a bicycle), not going anywhere in particular and not going all that fast. I'm not interested in long-distance rides -- or any rides that involve going up hills. It's great that these people like to ride bicycles so much. But why do the rest of us really need to do it? I enjoy running (although I don't go too far or too fast now because I'm old, out of shape and don't have time), but I'm not trying to rope them all into running by telling them how great it is. Why can't people just do what they like without trying to get other people to do it, too?

Edited March 12, 2016 by auntlada

[annzeepark914]

I can count on one hand the times I've seen a cyclist obey the traffic laws over the past 20 years.  They expect to share the road with us (drivers) but they love to zip through red lights.

[HyacinthBucket]

I just found this wonderful thread, and I'll try and control myself enough to only discuss one "pet peeve" for now.  

 

I live on the edge of a major Amish tourist area.  A two-lane highway takes me from my home to the schools where I work, and there needs to be a large sign to remind the tourists that while THEY may be on vacation, the local residents are going about their daily business and need to be at work on time.  I don't know how many times I have gotten behind someone going 15-20 miles below the speed limit, and there are NO places to pass on this eight-mile stretch of road.  It's very frustrating!  If I looked behind me and saw that I was pulling a small train of cars behind me, I would be considerate enough to speed up, or pull over so the cars can pass me.  

 

The same goes for large farm tractors, too.  Just because they have a slow-moving vehicle sign on the back doesn't mean that it's OK to drag a line of cars behind them for miles!  I'm even more frustrated with them because they have many opportunities to pull over and let the cars pass, but they just keep chugging along at 30 mph in a 55 mph section of road.  Arrgghhh!!!

 

Whew!  I feel better already.  Now, where can we discuss Drumpf?  

[DeLurker]

Whew!  I feel better already.  Now, where can we discuss Drumpf?  

Welcome!  I grew up in a touristy place, but not a more rural one so I never encountered that - how dreadful!

 

But politics is pretty much a no fly zone at PTV.  You get some leeway in threads for talk shows where the politics are actually the topic of the show (like John Oliver, Last Week Tonight), but it is pretty well monitored so things don't get testy among posters.

[Qoass]

I hate March Madness.  As far as I'm concerned, sports in general take up way too much of the public consciousness and yet I don't know anybody who actually watches the games.  Get off my television and give me back my programs.

Edited March 14, 2016 by Qoass

[GHScorpiosRule]

I'm too tired to look back and find my original post from about two months ago...but y'all remember what an idiot I felt like when the Basil I'd bought to make pesto sauce got all funged up due to its being left out? And the humidity?

 

Well, I finally got around to buying some more and made the sauce last night and....drum roll please..... SUCCESS!!!!! It turned out great.  Of course, it was past 9:00 p.m. by the time I'd finished making it, so I just sealed it and put it in the refridgerator. Cooked the pasta shells earlier tonight, sautéd some garlic and mushrooms and mixes it all together. Came out great. I added a wee bit too much cheese, and apparently, I should have gotten habanero peppers instead of the serrano.  Not spicy enough.  I wish Safeway sold the green chile peppers I can get at the Indian stores. That would have definitely given me the extra kick I wanted.

 

But I feel great! That I managed to cook something that turned out really good.

 

I know, I know, this should probably have gone in chit chat or gratefulness thread, but it's part of the narrative of my previous peeve, so I put it here!

[HyacinthBucket]

Welcome!  I grew up in a touristy place, but not a more rural one so I never encountered that - how dreadful!

 

But politics is pretty much a no fly zone at PTV.  You get some leeway in threads for talk shows where the politics are actually the topic of the show (like John Oliver, Last Week Tonight), but it is pretty well monitored so things don't get testy among posters.

 

Thank you!  I completely understand about the politics, and I'm grateful to find a safe zone like this.  

[DeLurker]

Probably a repeat peeve for me, but people who litter and, specifically, people who casually toss out their cigarettes from the car.

[zxy556575]

Probably a repeat peeve for me, but people who litter and, specifically, people who casually toss out their cigarettes from the car.

Probably a repeat peeve for me, but people who litter and, specifically, people who casually toss out their cigarettes from the car.

 

Haha! Thanks to the forum glitch gods for the laugh.

[auntlada]

Probably a repeat peeve for me, but people who litter and, specifically, people who casually toss out their cigarettes from the car.

Probably a repeat peeve for me, but people who litter and, specifically, people who casually toss out their cigarettes from the car.

 

Especially when there are red flag fire warnings.

[Demented Daisy]

This is not Tumblr.  Or Reddit.  Or Twitter.  I am so very tired of people coming here and complaining about what people are saying at those sites.  It makes my teeth itch to read:

 

Poster: "I cannot believe that people are saying that so-and-so did such-and-such to this other so-and-so!"

 

Me: "Who said that?  I missed that post."

 

Poster: "Oh, no, I read it at Tumblr/Reddit/Twitter."

 

Me (wanting to say very badly): "So complain about it over there!"

 

Or, even worse:  "I remember, at TWoP...."  Shut up!  We're not at TWoP!  Get over it!

[ratgirlagogo]

 

I hate March Madness.  As far as I'm concerned, sports in general take up way too much of the public consciousness and yet I don't know anybody who actually watches the games.  Get off my television and give me back my programs.

On the one hand, I agree because the only mainstream sport I follow is baseball.  On the other hand, March Madness gives us a chance to work through the DVR backlog, so I'm all for that.  I like the respites that come with holidays and such.  There didn't used to be so much great TV on TV!

Edited March 16, 2016 by ratgirlagogo

[FormerMod-a1]

One of my biggest pet peeves just happened again.  This involves messaging, like PMs or somewhere where you can see the entire conversation each time you open it up. 

 

Friday messages:

Him: So, what days can you get together next week?

Me: Mon, Tues or Thursday after work.

Him:OK

 

Today,Wednesday, he PM's this: Can you get together tonight?

 

What? Does he think I was lying?  Or Does he not see the message just two above his with my list?  Or Is is reading comprehension that bad that he doesn't realize omitted days are days I can't meet?

 

Seriously, tell me. I really want to know.  Because this kind of thing happens all the time, and not just with this guy, nor with trying to arrange getting together.

[zxy556575]

Is it possible the other people have their IM client set not to save previous conversations? Otherwise, I got nothing.

[JTMacc99]

What? Does he think I was lying?  Or Does he not see the message just two above his with my list?  Or Is is reading comprehension that bad that he doesn't realize omitted days are days I can't meet?

In my experiences, it is none of those things. It is somebody else being self-absorbed and probably trying to will a way to make what HE wants to happen, happen.

 

But without knowledge of this particular person, I can't say that for sure.  I do feel somewhat comfortable in saying that such behavior is not particularly rare.

[auntlada]

If someone is going to say, "I don't care what auntlada says, I want it done this way," then that person can stop asking me to proof her damn stuff.

Edited to correct spellings. I shouldn't use the iPad screen to type when I am mad.

Edited March 16, 2016 by auntlada

[bilgistic]

I have been so consumed with work and my cat's chronic health issues that I'd been away from this thread for three pages. I just got caught up and laughed so much. It was so needed! Y'all are great!

My late female cat and my current cat (male, not blood related--they only tolerated each other) would collude against me and hurl themselves at my closed bedroom door--if I dared to close it. The boy now howls if a door is closed between us. I make liberal use of pheromone spray, which helps some. He sleeps with me in the bed, and I don't wake when he moves from his lounging atop my stomach to thighs to feet, to the kitchen for water, to back to my stomach. We start out spooning most nights. When my girl was still with us, I had to fit in the bed around them. I love them; what can I say?

[backformore]

Here's my pet peeve - electronic devices that work, until you download an update, then they get all screwy. 

 

My laptop computer -   Since I downloaded Windows 10, just a few weeks ago, my computer suddenly can't connect to the internet -  there's no connection, but when I check everything, it's connected.   I've done a "system restore"  THREE TIMES in two weeks!  It's a temporary fix, the problem keeps happening. 

 

My fitbit -it works, but suddenly (almost exactly when the 1 year warranty was up) it won't sync to my phone , I have to log out, log back in, turn Bluetooth off on my phone, then turn it back on. AND it only stays charged for a day (instead of 5)  this all started with the last automatic software update. 

 

It drives me crazy.  They need to troubleshoot the updates BEFORE having everyone install them.  Sometimes there's no choice, you can't NOT update.  But once a problem is discovered, they  should have a way for people to un-install the update. 

[zxy556575]

Here's a perennial -- the weather! Apologies to anyone who's had a hard time of it this "winter," but I live in Florida and there has only been one damned month where I didn't need to turn on the A/C. February was a record high and March is on its way to be the same. I mean, Imma be cool either way, but one costs me an extra $100/mo or so in utilities.

 

Food gripe: I tend to have a meal of soup a couple times a week. I do not make said soup from scratch. The food conglomerates of American have elected to offer soup in microwaveable containers. All well and good ... in theory. In practice, the soup always bubbles over and sometimes even pops the plastic lid off the container and sprays the inside of the microwave. I've taken to waving my private parts in their general direction and just putting the soup into my own microwave bowl with lid. I then have to wash it, even though having food in a microwaveable container was supposed to preclude that.

 

Dear Campb... er, food companies: can't you just make the container a bit larger so the soup has some room to bubble?

Edited March 19, 2016 by lordonia

[bilgistic]

I really don't get the "buy three, get one free" tires "sales". Who buys three tires? I get having to buy one or even two at a time, but no one buys three. It's just a garbage way to sell what would be the regular price of four tires and pretend you're getting some hot deal.

[DeLurker]

Here's a perennial -- the weather! Apologies to anyone who's had a hard time of it this "winter," but I live in Florida and there has only been one damned month where I didn't need to turn on the A/C. February was a record high and March is on its way to be the same. I mean, Imma be cool either way, but one costs me an extra $100/mo or so in utilities.

 

Food gripe: I tend to have a meal of soup a couple times a week. I do not make said soup from scratch. The food conglomerates of American have elected to offer soup in microwaveable containers. All well and good ... in theory. In practice, the soup always bubbles over and sometimes even pops the plastic lid off the container and sprays the inside of the microwave. I've taken to waving my private parts in their general direction and just putting the soup into my own microwave bowl with lid. I then have to wash it, even though having food in a microwaveable container was supposed to preclude that.

 

Dear Campb... er, food companies: can't you just make the container a bit larger so the soup has some room to bubble?

Switch to level billing so you pay a flat rate each month.  This allows me to ignore the ugly reality that some months are unfairly warm/cold and my pocket feels it.

 

Have you tried using a lower power level when zapping your soup?  It takes some monkeying around to find the right level and extra time, but it might help.  If anything is spillable or might pop, I usually have a napkin or coffee filter to throw over it (I just buy the round ones for this purpose).  The napkin or coffee filter will normal normal keep things from getting all over the microwave.

 

eta:  "coughee" filter is a face mask they wear in surgery or areas of high pollution. 

Edited March 20, 2016 by DeLurker

[BookWoman56]

Food gripe: I tend to have a meal of soup a couple times a week. I do not make said soup from scratch. The food conglomerates of American have elected to offer soup in microwaveable containers. All well and good ... in theory. In practice, the soup always bubbles over and sometimes even pops the plastic lid off the container and sprays the inside of the microwave. I've taken to waving my private parts in their general direction and just putting the soup into my own microwave bowl with lid. I then have to wash it, even though having food in a microwaveable container was supposed to preclude that.

 

Dear Campb... er, food companies: can't you just make the container a bit larger so the soup has some room to bubble?

It's been a while since I used these, but when I did it was at the break room at work, with microwaves that did not have an easy way to adjust the power setting. What worked for me was reducing the cook time by 15-20 seconds, so that the soup got hot enough to eat, but not boiling hot so it would bubble over. I suspect the reason they don't make the container larger is that then people would bitch that they were getting ripped off because the container wasn't full. FWIW, I often use the same strategy on anything that needs to be microwaved. With microwave popcorn, it is important to me that it not get scorched, because when I have migraines, my first clue one is about to start is smelling burnt popcorn. So, the smell of real burnt popcorn evokes unpleasant associations and makes me paranoid that a migraine is impending, even though I tell myself that no, you're smelling burnt popcorn because there is in fact burnt popcorn. Anyway, I use the popcorn setting on the microwave, but turn the microwave off when there is 30 seconds left on the timer. Yes, a few kernels will be unpopped, but no burnt popcorn smell.

[bilgistic]

Burnt popcorn smell is the worst, and it lingers for days.