"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have."
Pet Peeves. Let me tell you what it's like...
If, by chance, you are offended by what you're about to read, I may or may not apologize. You never know.
I'm about to write about all the little irritants in my life, the things I see every day that make me crazy.
1. Not using turn signals and driving UNDER the speed limit make me want to calmly pull you aside and slap the shit out of you. Not using your turn signals is not only annoying, but dangerous as well. The idiot people who opt to not use their turn signals should be smacked. I mean, car manufacturers put brake lights on your car for a reason, they put headlights on your car for a reason and they put reverse lights and hazard lights on your car for a reason. And I'm pretty sure that at that rate, they didn't just put turn signals on your car for shits and giggles. There must be a reason for those too. Oh, wait. It's to warn the other poor schmucks on the road that you're about to cut them off. Just use them, folks. They're important. Driving under is almost as dangerous as driving over the speed limit. Imagine a car traveling about 35 miles an hour in a 55 zone. Me, being a semi-law abiding driver (go ahead and laugh), come to a sharp curve in the road and slow down to about 45 or 50 mph and just as a round the corner and gain a view, there's a car going 35 - at most. That's dangers, boys and girls. That is absolutely dangerous.
2. Talking on the cell phone when you're in the company of friends who've you've made plans with (and the plans weren't to get together and talk to other people on the phone) makes me want to shove your cell phone so damn far into your ear that you'll never be without it. How would you like that? I'll admit, I'm guilty of this to a certain extent. There are those times when the phone rings and you answer, expecting it to be brief, and end up talking to study partner Joe for the remainder of dinner at the steak house with long time friend Jane. It's no secret that happens, but in every conversation one question always arises: "so what are you up to?" AND THAT my friends is where you say, "oh, i'm at dinner with some friends." And folks, if study partner Joe doesn't have the courtesy to offer to call you back later, just politely cut off his 17 minute rant about politics and that horrible teacher, explain that you're at dinner and suggest that you'll call him back later. In slight transition, there are also times when the phone doesn't ring, but you call someone instead. Maybe you call to invite them to dinner with the girls or to the movies with the high school friends, who knows. But it never fails, once you're on the phone, you're on the phone for awhile. How about, don't even risk it. When you're out and about, maxin' relaxin' or hittin' the town with your friends, don't answer your phone unless you have the ability to get off the phone quickly.
3. If you're going to poke fun at friends (which is absolutely okay when done in good fun), make absolutely certain you can take what they may give. I'm the youngest of three kids, I've been picked on since day one. Believe me, I can take it; however I can also give it -- and I will. One of my biggest pet peeves is not when I get picked on, that's just fine. It's when I pick back and the initiator of the picking gets upset and says I'm in a bad mood. That's horseshit. I can just play your game better than you. The bone I have to pick about this pet peeve is that you should never dish out what you wouldn't expect to get back. Don't pick on me without expecting me to pick back (and it be good) and when I do pick back, don't get all pissy and tell me I'm in a bad mood because you can't play the game.
4. Pointing out that I'm incredibly tall only makes you look incredibly idiotic. It's a complete understatement to tell me I'm a little bit tall, but it's also completely unnecessary to in any way comment to me about my height. Believe me, I'm the first one who notices in the morning and the last one who notices at night. It's my head that hits the paper latern hanging from my ceiling every morning when I walk out of my room and it's my toes that hang off the end of my bed every night. Anyone who looks at me can clearly see that I stand a good deal taller than the head of any one of my friends (excluding Detra). I'm 21-years-old, I'm sure by now, if anyone is going to notice that I'm tall, they've either already done it or haven't met me.
5. If you're going to tell me I'm making a ill decision, have a good explanation for it and be prepared for me to counter your attack with an explanation of why I'm making a good decision. If you're good enough to tell me how it is, be good enough to listen to my case. I really don't like when people try to tell me what to do. I mean, it's okay if my boss tells me not to give out job information over the phone anymore. That's his place and he clearly knows more about that than I do. What would not be okay would be my boss telling me my photographs suck or that I was using Publisher or Photoshop incorrectly. .. my ass. Another good example of someone stepping out of line -- CVS lady. I don't really know that I need to say more, but that's never stopped me before. So I go to the CVS to get film developed the other day. I wasn't exactly sure what was on the disposable cameras but who cares -- I knew, whatever it was, I wanted it on disk as well. So I told the lady, "single prints and a cd for both cameras please," and I left. That apparently wasn't clear enough for her. She made a shoddy executive decision and opted to omit the cd for one of the cameras, claiming the pictures were too dark and it would be a waste of my money -- which was a buck 99. A BUCK 99! So after about an hour I returned to the CVS to pick up my film. It wasn't done yet and she so joyfully informed me that she decided not to make the cd for the one camera because of the darkness of the photos. I pleasantly asked to see the pictures and ... oh my god, they were pictures of the Boston Less Than Jake show. So I explained that it was okay that most of them were dark, I still wanted them on cd so that I could put the one of me and the lead singer of one of my favorite bands on the computer. She then proceeded to tell me it wouldn't turn out because the picture was too dark and that I'd be wasting my money, yet AGAIN. Only this time, I'm actually holding the photograph of me and Chris in my hands and it's just fine. Okay, so long story short, we went around and around about it. Finally I told her that I edit photos for a living and that still didn't shut her up. She eventually did what I asked her to when I walked in the door an hour and a half earlier but she did it wrong. What I ended up discovering when I got home, after she told me before handing me the cd, "don't be mad at me if these aren't right," was that she had put the film in the machine wrong and there was half of one picture and half of the next on each slide of cd. I don't know why anyone would 1] make an executive decision to not sell something to someone when that is the business they are in, 2] work in customer service and not adhere to the customer's requests and 3] proceed to argue with me (or anyone) after they've been informed that I know more about the subject of the argument than they do.
These next couple don't even need explanation.
6. If you don't know how to tip, ask me. I'll gladly help you leave adequate tip for the girl who's working at the restaurant to make her way through college and pay for her kid. geesh. have a heart, she has bad days too.
7. Don't be hypocritical. If you've got a problem with me being a certain way and you tell me about it, I fully expect you to tell John Doe about his being a certain way as well.
8. I think you basically get the point, I have pet peeves and I needed to discuss them.
9. Listen, if you want to sing the words, learn them. Please don't make that noise. You know, the noise that sounds like the adults from Charles Schultz's Peanuts. Please, either ask or look them up. This is not only ridiculous to witness, it makes me want to laugh at you. :-)
10. About asking, I really don't like it when it's obvious that people need help and they don't ask for it. Especially if they know I could help. There's no shame in asking for help when you need it. In fact, it does make you look a little bit human. I don't see what's wrong with looking human. And everyone probably knows that if I can help, I try to. If there's a load you have to bear that you can't carry, I'm right up the road and I'll share you're load if you just call me. :-)
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Bring back the humanity.
Donate [to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Big Brothers Big Sisters].
Travel [to make a difference].
Volunteer [in less fortunate areas to help make a difference].
Mission [go on missions to teach of humanity, spread kindness and goodness].
Read [to become more aware of what happens in the world around you].
Teach [to educate the next generation].
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hilarious quotes of the day:
"I want to get a vending machine, with fun sized candy bars, and the glass in front is a magnifying glass. You'll be mad, but it will be too late." -- Mitch Hedberg
"Alison, have you quit doing drugs yet?" -- Billy.
"a burrito is like life; a well hidden mess."
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