I poured a calming cup of cranberry tea then started thinking about this post!
I don't often focus on the things I find annoying, but lately I feel like there's a conspiracy to have me lose my temper. It's a good thing I'm slow to boil - but when I do, look out! Keep in mind, I'm a complete control-freak-single-mother-of-four-celt-by-blood. Okay, you've been warned. Proceed. With caution!
- Repetitive noises drive me bonkers. bonkers. bonkers.
- Waste. Any kinds of waste. Food. Time. Money. It turns on my internal calculator which annoys me!
- The word "actually" when used by my children in a condescending know-it-all manner. Oh that tone! It drives me nuts!
- Telemarketers.
- Sperm donors who think they are entitled to more than they deserve.
- When you ask someone to stop a specific behaviour, just until you are out of the way, and they don't.
- To those children with no table (or toilet seat or respect your elders or don't interrupt) manners. Sigh. Your parents really did you a disservice. So when you're corrected the answer is not "but my mum lets me" - the correct response is, "thanks for letting me know." And then don't do it again.
- Sweat. Ick. A necessary evil, but I really hate it.
- Uninformed opinions. Spout off all you want, but please educate yourself with the basic unarguable facts first.
- Anyone who goes into a public place - book store, restaurant, theatre - sick. I can understand a pharmacy - or even the grocery store if you have no one to bring you food, but leisure activities? Spare us all, please.
- When my children don't listen the first time. This is not a democracy.
- Or when they interject when I'm speaking with someone. Argh!
- When solicitors come to the door and ring the doorbell repeatedly when it is not answered. I know YOU think your cause is important, I do not have to agree. I respect your passion. Respect my right to not answer - the first time.
- When talking about universities, to all those uber competitive parents who say "but he could have got in" - shut up. He didn't get in which means he couldn't get in. Get over it.
- Dirty dishes left in the sink.
- When you try to take a photo and the exact same person makes a stupid face, or movement, over and over and over again. Thereby ruining every photo taken. This is particularly annoying at the end of a championship game, on holiday and in celebration of something that won't happen again.
- If things are not put away where they belong in the garage and I cannot get the truck parked.
- When my kids speak - out loud - about what a deadbeat their dad is and what they think of him. Not that it's not true, but I'm tired of hearing about it. I'm doing all I can to make it better for them.
- When my kids "can't find" something in the fridge. That something is usually directly in front of them!
- At the grocery check out and the person in front of me has forgotten one thing. They realize when they are almost done. They don't ask, but run off to get whatever that one thing is and come back, minutes later, with arms full of stuff. Irksome, especially when this happens at the express lane!
- Most of this stuff happens and I just keep my mouth shut, head down and move along. Unless it is some stupidity on the road. Bad manners on the road rarely hear my horn, but my kids have learned more than a curse word or two! Those same children hear when they've stepped out of line - I chalk it up to parenting.
Whew. Okay, I feel much better now. Hmm. My kids are clearly driving me crazy of late. Must find a way to fix that :)
What is your greatest pet peeve?