19 Things

Being around whiners isn't fun, so I try not to be one myself.  Complaining doesn't accomplish much in most situations.  But life isn't swell at all times, and sometimes I still just feel the need to express what's bugging me.  I thought maybe if I get it all out in one controlled blog, it might prevent me from spewing forth in a later moment of emotion. ;)

But, what to call my list?  "Pet Peeves" hardly seems appropriate, since the adjective, "pet" speaks of nurturing something, and I'm trying to purge myself of these irritations so as to NOT nurture them.  How about "Un-fun Things?"  While that may understate the ickiness of some items on my list, I really don't want to use the "hate" word over-zealously, either.  So, Un-fun Things it will be.

Top 19 Un-fun Things

1. When you're in the middle of a great book from the library, but you don't have time to finish it in three weeks, so you attempt to renew it and the renewal fails because someone else has it on hold.  That just happened to me last week.  I would just love to have access to the name and number of the "holder," and plead my case.  Surely they, too, have taken more than three weeks to read a book before because they're doing so many other things!  They would understand, I know it!  Of course, I suppose I'm the only person in the world who puts books on hold and can't finish them in three weeks. . .
2. Spiders.  The more bulbous and leggy, the worse they are.  Ugh!!!!
3. When I make my shopping list, with great care to detail and coupon usage, and then most of the items I was going to get great deals on are no longer in stock--the day after the sale started!  Grrr . . .
4. When I make a mistake.  Perfectionism is a poison.
5. When the electricity goes out.  Who doesn't think that's un-fun, besides Amish people?
6. Verizon and Frontier Communications.  Verizon needs to learn customer service and Frontier is just shady.
7. When someone shoots the messenger, so to speak.  It's not the messenger's fault.  Grow up and take responsibility!  Honestly--it's really juvenile.
8. When Walmart won't take my coupons or the cashier scowls at me like she thinks I'm trying to pull one over on her.  It's a COUPON for crying out loud!!!!  Just scan it and move on with your life..  It's not that complicated!
9. When I can't be sarcastic when I really want to be because I have this deal with myself that I won't use sarcasm to get my point across.  Except that I slip now and then, including in this post a time or two! ;)
10. The way so many people in our country don't care about what's really important, and the consequences that are forthcoming if we don't get our act together!  Wake up, America!
11. When I have a scathingly brilliant idea and am excited to put it into action, and then it fails.  So disappointing!
12. Idiotic drivers.  I don't think that needs further explanation.
13. People who know better, but make excuses instead.
14. Lies
15. The reading and language arts teachers manuals I'm using this year.  Great curriculum, dumb set-up for the teacher!
16. Calling a customer service number and having to talk to a machine (though I must admit to a certain amusement when I hear other people saying seemingly-random words into their phones!). lol
17. Going to a store and seeing those ridiculous U-scans.  The first time I saw one of those years ago, and the lady directed me to use one, I literally thought I was going to be on Candid Camera (the one with Suzanne Sommers and that one guy).  They had to be kidding right?!  If you think about it, you're paying to have to do the job of a person who should be there.  You don't get a discount for checking out your own groceries.  Maybe it's because I love *people* so much.  I dislike that people are being replaced by machines.
18. Stepping in dog poop
19. When I realized I've wasted time or squandered an opportunity.

That's my list for now.  Next time I'll have to write a list of my favorite things, to balance this out.  Actually, that would be a much longer list!  So many blessings . . . :)