Pet Peeves

Pet Peeve – “an opportunity for complaint that is seldom missed; a particular personal vexation.”

I often find myself judging others’ actions based on my personal pet peeves. It’s not really a difference of right or wrong, but personal preference. Basically, things that just “bug.” At the same time, I realize that I can be a hypocrite because I find occasion to do some of these, despite my dislike for them. These are in no particular order, other than the order my brain thought of them. Those that spend lots of time with me can attest to the fact that I seldom miss complaining about the following things. Am I alone in these? What are your pet peeves? If I’m one of yours, please let me know and I’ll try to avoid you. At the same time, if I am then why are you reading my blog? j/k I love all of my readers.

#1 – Christmas lights before Thanksgiving. This year, I’ve actually already put them up, I know, against my own principles. 70 degrees is a lot nicer to hang them, then 20. They will not be on until after Thanksgiving, although they were on while I put them up and have been turned on to show certain people that want to see, like Rheanna when she got home that night after I spent a fortune on them, fortunately she loves them.

#2 – Slow Drivers. I can handle this on the freeway in the far right lane, since people can go around you, but it should never happen in the carpool lane or left lanes. It’s also quite annoying on roads where you can’t pass. I admit, I have had rare occasion when I’ve found myself driving slow, but quickly end my distraction and step on the gas, especially if I’m being followed closely. Going the speed limit is slow, but acceptable.

#3 – Quiet and slow singing at church. I’ve mentioned this before, with a room of 200 people, there should be full volume and the hymns sung up to tempo. I try to sing out and try to keep the speed quick, but have found that with kids I’ve slowed down some. In case anyone in our ward doesn’t know, Rheanna plays the speed the congregation sings, she does not set the tempo herself. So to do it faster, we need to speed up our voices and the organ will follow.

#4 – Non-Audible Amens. Here’s another church one. What happened to people saying ‘Amen’ out loud after prayers, talks and testimonies? Shouldn’t they be said with cheerfulness and energy? Every once in a while you hear it, but it’s usually very mumbled. I sometimes forget myself because hardly anyone else is saying it. It’s usually most obvious on Fast Sundays so I try to say it nice and loud after each testimony.

#5 – Abuse of self-check out lines. We’ve all been there when we have a couple of items and someone in front is shopping for 2 weeks, yet picks the self-check out and has 18 different types of produce to look up. The other day, Aaron went through with a ton of tortillas. He was not abusing the line, but since people behind were impatient that he had so many, he had the courtesy to pay for them and then bag them outside and let people move through quickly. Why can’t more people be so decent?

#6 – Procrastinators. I’ll fully admit, I procrastinate all the time, but I’m still annoyed when others do it. Sorry, it’s true.

#7 – Problem situations I’m removed from. These may not always be problems, but just not how I want things to be going. This often happens when changing jobs and you hear about crazy things happening at your old one. Sometimes with callings – you get released and then see things happening totally differently from what you were thinking (new people, new inspiration). Or it may happen when you move and then you hear about lots of changes in different people’s lives. The frustrating part in this isn’t so much the change, as I like change, it’s more because I realize as much as I want, I no longer have say in what is going on. Sometimes the question is, did I do all that I should have in that situation? Did I make the right choice to move on? Maybe the problem is just me, keep moving and don’t look back.

#8 – Dog Droppings. This one I can’t be a hypocrite on because I don’t own a dog. I guess we can add cat droppings here too. The only thing worse than having animal droppings in your grass, when you don’t have any pets yourself, is to step in them. Enough said.

#9 – Sprinkler problems. I don’t know if this really fits as a pet peeve, but I find nothing more annoying on the planet, than having to replace sprinkler valves over and over again. When this first occurred in March 2007, I was clueless as to what to do. Thanks to Aaron and many hours and days of working on mine and his, I now feel close to expert in my sprinkler repair abilities, yet still find the whole thing frustrating and annoying.

#10 – Stinky Towels. (This is for you, James.( After going to the gym each morning, Aaron, James and I leave our towels in my car to dry out. This works great in the hot summer sun, but on a rainy November day, they don’t always dry out. If you can imagine 3 towels sitting in a car all day without ventilation, creating humidity and sometimes emitting some BO. Nothing works better to build up your appetite for dinner on the way home.