Pet Peeves...

Pet peeves are defined as "minor annoyances" that are very frustrating for some while not phasing others at all. Pet peeves can be a cause of great frustration. When looking up pet peeve you will find that in order to qualify there are three criteria that must be met. It must be (1)insignificant, (2)happens to everyone around you but (3)only you are annoyed by it. These are little things that occur everyday that on the wrong day could just put someone like me over the edge.



Here are my top four.
(1) I'll start with one of my favorites. The coffee fixin' bar. Everyday I buy coffee from the same place. I see the same people and experience the same pet peeve. That is folks that stand in front of the cream and sweetener and fix their coffee and then taste it usually two or three times until it is just right. Now understand, it is the same coffee blend and same size cup every day. Why don't the 8 sugar packets and half cup of cream taste the same on Tuesday as it did on Monday. But noooo, they start with 4 packs of sugar and some cream... stir, stir, taste...smack the lips a little bit. 2 more packets of sugar and more cream...stir,stir, taste...smack the lips a little more and then 2 more packets of sugar while topping the cup off with cream...stir, stir, taste -- ahhh just right. Fiddle with the lid, spill some coffee while doing so (don't wipe it up) and walks away. The fixin' station has been blocked the whole time. I want to yell at her LADY if you get the same thing every day you should know by now you take 8 packets of sugar and half a cup of cream. I could fix your coffee for you and get it just right without the stir, stir, taste!



(2) Then there is the smokin' hand. This is the hand of the smoker that hangs out the car window. Why? Because they don't want their own smoke blowing in their face as they drive or sit at the light. So they hang the smokin' hand out the window so the cigarette smoke will blow into my car and my face. If you want to smoke, smoke. Roll up your windows and puff all that smoke in your car. Thanks but no thanks I don't want to share your cigarette.



(3) Litterbugs. I hate litterbugs. Why do you have to drop your trash in front of my house or better yet throw it out your car in my neighborhood. I live on a walk route that intersects with a school and a bus stop. I come out of my house in the morning and know what the kids have had for breakfast from yogurt cups to potato chips. I am one of the people that puts stuff in my pocket or handbag until I get to a trash can. I don't throw it on the street. When I do see people drop trash I say excuse me, you dropped something... the trash can is right there, next to you, on the left...sometimes they pick it and sometimes I pick it up. This is a true story: One day my sister and I were picking up breakfast from a little restaurant in my neighborhood when the passenger door of a car stopped at the light opened and a young lady sat a box of trash in the street. The car had out of state tags. I blew my horn and yelled "hey don't leave that there". They flipped me the bird and drove off. I grabbed my sister into my car, picked up the box and chased them. Yes, that is a little crazy but I was mad. The whole time my sister is saying you are going to get us killed. I told her I just wanted to give them their trash which happened to be old food containers, with half eaten food in them. Three lights later I finally caught them stopped at a light and they were blocked by traffic. I jumped out my car and banged on the window which girlfriend started to put down while boyfriend was yelling don't put the window down. They wouldn't take their trash so I sat it on the top of their car. Of course they knocked it off and left it in the street and I ended up picking it up but I think they got the message. Don't Litter or crazy people will chase you down and give it back!

(4) Respect the circle of personal space. My final pet peeve, individuals that invade my personal space. Those strangers that always seem to stand too close - in the food store, at the ATM, the department store, the movie line. GIVE ME MY SPACE - RESPECT THE CIRCLE. It is not necessary to stand so close as we wait to board the airplane that I can feel your breath on my neck - we have assigned seats!! Standing really close does not make me move faster. Putting your food on the checkout belt before me even though I am standing in front of you doesn't mean you will check out before me. JUST CHILL. This space extends to my car and those individuals that tailgate - you're invading the circle. Driving really close when I am doing 65 does not intimidate me. Back off Bucko and when the opportunity presents itself speed around me.
Just give me my space. Everyone is entitled to their circle.

So to sum it all up, if you have a process for fixing your coffee stand off to the side, if you smoke when you drive keep the smokin' hand inside your car, don't litter and respect a persons personal circle of space.