PET PEEVES
I don’t know what to write about today. Nothing in my web surfing or email inbox, from BB to CC creams to skinny jeans to costumes for Halloween, inspires me just now. And that pisses me off. The fact that some days are more productive than others and that, sometimes, I just want to do nothing more than explore every channel on my cable TV, blow off my deadlines by cleaning my closets or spend the day searching the internet for my current object of affection (this week it’s vintage couture), pisses me off. I don’t want to be unproductive but today I just can’t muster the brain power to do anything other than procrastinate. And that brings me to the topic of pet peeves. Procrastination is at the top of my list. It wasn’t always a problem for me. In fact, I’d have never described myself as a procrastinator. Until recently. I work from home and, sometimes when a deadline looms, I can find a million things to do to take my mind away from it. My pup, Sophie, needs to be walked. Or brushed. Or bathed. The pantry needs to be purged. My closets need to be reorganized by clothing type, color and occasion. My complexion is screaming for a face mask and the internet is calling my name. I just can’t get it together to become inspired to do the research, writing and editing that my deadline demands. Hell. Today is one of those days. Which brings me back to the subject of pet peeves. Here, in no particular and admittedly meandering order, are some of mine.
1. Phone call solicitations from companies I don’t know. I’m on the National Do Not Call List but this is apparently a joke perpetrated by well-meaning and naive people. I sometimes get five calls a day from financial companies that promise to reduce my credit card charges. If I don’t answer, they call back within half an hour. If I do answer and refuse their services, they call back within the hour. If anyone out there has a solution that will make these calls stop, please share – because I am about to tear the phone out of the wall.
2. Repair people who give you a window of time spanning several hours for when they’re going to show up to do the repair – and then ring your bell an hour after the window is closed. Or who don’t show up at all. Grrr.
3. Extension leashes. (I told you this list would meander.) Actually I shouldn’t blame those. My peeve is with the people who walk their dogs on extension leashes at their longest lengths so that the dogs are half way into the street while the owner remains oblivious to the danger. Pisses me off bigtime.
4. Junk emails. Make them stop. I am simply not interested in finding a mate, knockoff designer handbags, replica watches, sexual stimulants or countertops. Countertops, really?
5. Gratuitous violence on TV. Hate it. I don’t get the point of ruining a perfectly good and often suspenseful TV show with a scene involving torture, murder, beatings, etc. Nope, I don’t see the point. Even if it’s within the context of the show’s storyline, isn’t there a way to allude to the horrific event without my actually having to see it? I’ve given up on some pretty fabulous TV shows because of some graphic violent scenes. My mom and I have this conversation regularly. She favors legal dramas, spy dramas and the news while my TV-watching preferences are some reality shows (Bravo’s RHONY, Million Dollar Listing and HGTV’s Undercover Overhaul;) sitcoms (Big Bang Theory, Modern Family;) some dramatic series (The Newsroom, Mad Men) and the news. I’ve tried to take my mom’s recommendations for the latest and highly acclaimed spy drama – but the violence. It turns my stomach and I have to turn the channel. I know I’m missing out on a lot of supposedly great television, but I just can’t stomach it.
6. Snow
7. Products that claim to do something and then just don’t.
8. Dieting
9. Women’s magazines aimed at an older demographic that have barely post-pubescent pop stars and actresses on their covers. I miss the days when models graced the covers of magazines.
10. Facebook. I actually have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. I love catching up with friends and seeing photos of babies and grandbabies, exotic vacation locales, new puppies and cats wearing pink nail caps. I hate reading anything sad that happened to any of my friends, even those who are exclusively FB friends. And I hate that I feel compelled to check my newsfeed at least once a day. Damn!
11. My new Mac computer with its Mountain Lion operating system. Frankly, it sucks. Apple should have looked to other animals besides felines to name this new operating system. I’d have called this one “Sloth.”
12. Cold showers on a cold day. (Maybe I need a new hot water heater?)
13. All you can eat buffet restaurants.
14. Ground up beetles that are used to color certain foods like some pink yogurts. I know. Gross. (http://calorielab.com/labnotes/20130725/yogurt-giant-dannon-has-been-urged-by-the-center-for-science-in-the-public-interest-to-stop-using-carmine-a-dye-extract-from-crushed-beetles-to-color-some-of-their-yogurt-products/)
15. Hot-looking (and often expensive) high heels that are killer to walk in. Can someone please design a beautiful shoe that’s comfortable? Email me when you do and I’ll be happy to tell my readers all about it.
16. Waiting in line.
17. Bad hair days.
18. Plantar Fasciitis. Ouch.
19. Gossip.
20. Lists of people’s pet peeves. (Sorry – and thank you for reading mine. I’d love to hear yours, despite my number 20, which was the only way I could think of to end this post, so please leave yours in the comments section below.)
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all of yours plus one – can not find cute flats that have support {meaning not flappy or foldable with a real heal- not a rubber molded thing where the heel goes} Love the look of Tori B’s but no real support!!!!!!! Steve Maddens- sides flop! & Aldo- good for 3 days then pfft!
Thank you, as always, for your comment. I declare today Pet Peeve Tuesday and could have gone on and on in that post. (Is that terrible that I have so many pet peeves?) As for flats, have you tried Sam Edelman’s shoes? I have a few pairs of his flats (including boots) and they’re really cute and comfy, read supportive. I also like Sesto Meucci’s flats. Really comfy. Franco Sarto for cute and comfortable at a great price. (Hm, time for a Nordstrom Rack visit?) xo, Mel
Here’s mine. Email subject lines that have nothing to do with the content. Come on people… stop being so lazy. Update the subject line when the thread of the email has changed to a different topic.
That’s a good one! How about mass emails that, in an effort to seem personalized, address the recipient by the wrong name? Makes me insane and I hit “delete” immediately. And, back to my post, Pet Peeve Number 21 is: Verizon FIOS! xo, Mel
I loved reading your pet peeves – we share many! However, #14 was something I didn’t know about and couldn’t bring myself to read more about it!
One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a typo on a huge sign or title. If you can’t proofread a billboard and see a typo…. There is one one a Long Island parkway entrance that used to drive me crazy!
Thanks for the usual interesting reading to brighten my boring workday.
I hadn’t realized how many pet peeves I had until I started to write them down! Number 14… ah yes, I wrote about this for http://www.CalorieLab.com, a great site for which I write breaking medical and health news. (The Center for Science in the Public Interest is urging for this practice to stop, fyi and the FDA requires that carmine, coloring from cochineal beetles, be listed on food labels – so just check them and you’ll be fine.) Yes! Typos are also a pet peeve of mine (although I’ve been guilty of committing them myself.) But I agree. They’re unforgivable on a billboard or ad in a major magazine, especially since that sort of copy is usually seen by several people before being made public. Thanks for your comment and for sharing your pet peeve! Hope you have a peeve-free rest of the day! xo, Mel
pet peeve: Gratuitous Apostrophes.
Why is it that so many people (especially those who make signs or flyers for others to read) feel they must insert an apostrophe to try to turn the merely plural into an implausible possessive. Did they miss that day in grammar class?
Diane, I am laughing out loud! Yes! Gratuitous apostrophe’s! (Haha!) I agree and feel your pain. And, its bad enough when the apostrophe’s are misused, but when they change the meaning of a sentence, its enough to drive me nut’s. (Do you like how I’ve been writing this reply? Snarky me.) It’s the 2000s, as opposed to the 2000’s, and people still haven’t caught on to the proper use of apostrophes. I guess they did miss that day in grammar class. (But I was absent for the entire lesson of lie versus lay, so please don’t fault me for that if I make that mistake.) But, back to apostrophes – I am guilty of writing, for example, Mr. Riess’s wife. It’s correct, but it looks weird. I simply must do it that way, and refuse to write Mr. Riess’ wife. (I actually think both may be correct, but it’s 3:50 a.m. and my brain is not functioning at full capacity. Does this comment even make sense? I don’t know and, because of that, I’m back to bed. xo! Mel