Reversing the Numbness

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Pet My Peeve

A very good friend and co-worker of mine, Jessie, mentioned to me today that she thought a post about pet peeves could be fun, and I'd been considering one anyway, so here goes. This one's for you, Jessie. I look forward to reading everyone's pet peeves.

Here's one of mine from yesteryear: When I was in college, I worked in retail (CD store), and I absolutely, positively hated it when I'd be trying to help a customer and this other dude who worked there would listen in to what the person was asking and would chime in with the answer. Dude! I've got it under control! My god this guy was a putz. I finally told him that it was the most annoying thing I'd ever encountered and if he did it again I was going to jab him with the pin on my name tag, and he stopped doing it. I could see him chomping at the bit when he'd overhear a customer's question, though, and I'd just sort of subtly tap my name tag and shake my head. Try me.

My biggest current pet peeves involve the good coffee pot in my office. (I don't care about the bad coffee pot -- enjoy your half-strength Maxwell House, freaks.) The good one is a pain in the butt, though, because it has a built-in grinder and it has to be completely taken apart and cleaned between each brewing.

Peeve #1: People who brew a pot without completely taking it apart and cleaning it. DON'T! It'll taste like crap and waste the coffee that either Jessie or I brought in! And trust me, I can tell if it's been cleaned or not.

Peeve #2: Only Jessie and I bring in good coffee, but lots of people drink it! The company only provides Maxwell House. Good coffee drinkers -- pitch in! That stuff's expensive!

Peeve #3, and the biggie: Okay, fine, don't bring in any coffee. You can drink mine or Jessie's, we're happy to share, really. But for the love of GOD, man (and one woman), clean the pot at the end of the day so I don't have to do it at 6 AM when I'm ready to mainline straight coffee beans into my veins! Seriously, why is that only Jessie and I clean that damn coffee pot? If she and I are bringing in all of the good coffee, and there are eight people drinking it, then there are six other people who should be cleaning that pot at the end of every day.

I still have an old associate's tag from Camelot Music. If that pot's not clean in the morning, somebody's getting jabbed.

52 comments:

Susan Chipley said...

Sleek: That bit about cleaning the coffee pot is interesting. Very interesting.

As far as my pet peeves, I'd say my biggest one would be the sound of food being chewed. If someone really chews loud or with their mouth open, I want to smack them upside the head. KWIM? I even get on my own damn nerves sometimes when I'm eating something really crunchy.

Another one is using "your" for "you're". It makes my skin crawl to see that. It was actually difficult to type that just now.

Fleming said...

1) having to ask "Did you reboot?" followed closely by being asked by someone, "What's my password?".

2) PA drivers in the left lane.

3) NJ drivers cutting me off.

4) thunderstorms that knock out satellite TV reception at the worst possible time.

5) people who point to the item on the menu as they order, as if the waiter/waitress has never heard of it before.

6) asking "What do you have on draft?" while sitting at the bar in front of a line of clearly labeled pull handles.

7) waiting on anyone and therefore making myself late for anything.

8) the scratch that is invevitbaly going to appear in the center of otherwise pristine sunglass lenses.

9) having to wear contacts or eyeglasses.

10) macho police officers.

Fleming said...

11) 1 checkout line open and 19 closed, with 20 people waiting in line. I love online shopping.

Eric said...

i hate people. they piss me off.

fuzzy duckies are nicer.

~d said...

Once upon a time, I too, worked for Camelot.
Pet peeves, huh? (now these are off the top of my head. Not stuff I necessarily dwell on, yo.

1. I can't stand it when anyone puts a dirty dish in the sink without rinsing it. Rinse the (effer0 now so it's not a (b___) to do later!

2. The slightest rainstorm has New Orleans weather dudes reminding (us) about evacuation routes.

**whoops, you are saved from my (wrath) as Thing ! has homework to do.

BTW, I quit Camelot b/c I got hired by Sound Warehouse. I have some funny stories from there. We were a Ticketmaster outlet! (haha)

to DM: what does KWIM mean?

Bad Billy said...

DM: Your funny.

BirdMadGirl said...

You guys would love working with me then... I hate coffee. Actually, I fucking LOATHE it :)

1) I completely agree with the DM on the "your" vs. "you're" usage. That was, like 4th grade knowledge right there/their/they're... but for some reason grown adults decide to just drop their/there/they're grammar skills. BUGS. ME. TO. NO. END.

2) I also have some mild OCD tendencies which results in me being easily bothered by crooked picture frames, seams showing on lampshades or pillow cases, tags sticking out of people's shirts... I'm a constant straightener of crooked or out-of-place shit. You should see the post-its and memos all over the walls in my cubicle... perfectly straight and lined up!

3) Paris Hilton

4) People that dress up their dogs

5) Breaking news (that has nothing to with me) interrupting my tv shows

6) Large sunglasses all the pretentious bitches are wearing these days

7) When my bras get tangled up in the washer... even INSIDE the fancy mesh bag that is SUPPOSED to alleviate that issue

8) When windshield wipers squeak

9) The song "Keep Your Hands To Yourself" by the Georgia Satellites

10) Cramps

Julie said...

1. Dirty Dishes. Bryan brought it up! Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when I get to the office there is a sink full of dirty dishes. When I get home on Wednesday nights, all the dishes my husband used while I was gone are in the sink. The sink that is RIGHT BESIDE THE DISHWASHER. I think I am going to retire this pet peeve, because it's never going to go away.

2. When I don't learn my lesson.
ie: I love to garden. Every summer I get poison ivy. Not because it's everywhere and I am allergic, but because I'm the dumbass who gardens in shorts, a t-shirt and flip flops, and then pulls the poison ivy out by hand because I can never remember that saying about three or five leaves.

3. When my husband says "acrost". We live in Pittsburgh, but not in the Northside, and we aren't Yinzer's!

4. When I say good morning or hello to someone and they don't respond.

5. When you forget about the towels in the washer for a day or two and they smell. Toxic!

Susan Chipley said...

d~: It means "know what I mean?". As for rinsing dishes, well I'm over that one. I've been rinsing Sleek's dishes for about 12.5 years now.

fleming: I've got one acronym for you: LASIK It freaking rules. After 25 years of contacts and/or glasses, this shit is off the hook!

bad billy: Ha! I want a t-shirt that says: Your Stupid!

Valnya: Damn girl! I'm so with you on almost all of your peeves! I can't stand it if my damn window blinds aren't all at the same level. I can't live without coffee, though.

Romddly: Just go ahead and get over the dishes at home. As I posted above, it's doubtful that it will ever change. My towels are pretty much permanently stinky from all the times I've left them in the washing machine for days on end.

olives and more said...

The only things I can think of right now are things my mom or my kids do, so I won't elaborate....I'll just deal with them.

Sleek: I think my sister has the same coffee maker.

DM: remember "honk if your horny". And sorry about chomping on my gum in your ear all weekend.

Susan Chipley said...

Olives: Hell yeah I remember "honk if your horny"! That contributed to my writing about that as a pet peeve. As for the gum, I was chomping mine the whole time too. I didn't even really notice yours. I love popping my gum. To my ears, it must be much different than food.

SleekPelt said...

dm: Solid peeves that I've encountered with you many times.

fleming: Excellent list! I'm with you on many, including 9. My remedy for that one is to wear neither and do the best I can.

spooge: You're getting more like Tim every day!

~d: I quit Camelot because I was going to get fired for not cutting
this
. It wasn't nearly that long at the time.

bad billy: Easy their, buddy, that's my wife your messing with.

valyna: Loathe coffee? I'm so, so sorry. Oh, well, more for me. -- Great list! "Perfectly straight and lined up" -- I bet you're a great accountant.

romddly: Excellent post! "Acrost" cracked me up. I've been guilty of the towel thing tons of times, too.

dm: I should have known better than to start a pet-peeve thread on a board my wife frequents.

SleekPelt said...

olive: I think having a separate grinder and coffee pot is the way to go. The all-in-one one is just a pain.

Bad Billy said...

Okay, it took some time, but here are a few:

1. Wearing sunglasses in a bar at night. Why?

2. Dudes wearing sandals with jeans. (Sorry if I'm offending anyone here.)

3. Fantasy Football. I came to the realization that I will never be successful at this stuff, no matter how high my draft pick.

4. People who drive like idiots. I live across from a Dairy Mart, and I really hate the people who feel inclined to burn their tires off exiting the parking lot at 3:00 a.m.! Is it really that enjoyable knowing you're waking someone up?

5. People who call women "dickheads." Just kidding.

6. Hypocrisy.

7. Guys wearing their collars up.

8. People who smoke cigarettes.

9. Wearing your hat sideways with a flat bill.

josh williams said...

1: Being mugged.
2: Loosing my job and being put in a position where I have no choice but to mug others.
3: Suffering the humilition of being kicked out of a petting zoo.
4: Petting zoos.
5: Running out of coffee becoming tired and running out of pet peeves. Thats the only five I have, these have remained with me since birth.

Susan Chipley said...

olives: You mentioned pet peeves regarding your kids. I just realized that it doesn't really bother me at all when my kids chew loud or with their mouths open. I actually think it's kind of cute.

josh: Running out of coffee is no good at all. I always feel so secure when I have coffee pre-made and in the fridge, a clean coffee pot and a bag of good beans.

Anonymous said...

I'm getting in a little late but I can't resist. I think it may actually make me feel better to get it out.

I cannot tolerate people who stand right behind me in the checkout line. I'm pretty flexible with my personal space most of the time, but in that situation, not so much. Do they really think that if they inch forward every time I do, it's going to speed up their check-out. Back the F**k up.

Oh, and I agree with romddly about people not responding to a simple hello, childish!

I do feel better, thanks sleek.

olives and more said...

ok...thought of some specifics:

1. people who complain about us not taking debit cards at work or that we are too expensive.

2. people who go slow in the fast lane.

3. people who say, "I'm not racist, but..."

4. litter bugs

Anonymous said...

Ok, I have several. I am, in fact, quite the intolerate and cynical human being. Although I just experienced a peeve five minutes ago that has be on the brink of throwing my coffee mug through the front glass window.

THE FUCKING TRASH CAN.

Not only is it constantly full, actually over full is more like it. People walk in there and strategically place their garbage on top just careful enough not to knock over the pile and still contain their waste. WTF is wrong with you lazy, born in a barn, sumbitches?!

If that isn't enough. I take out the trash first thing this morning. Somebody (the 60 yr old boss) bagged it up and placed it by the front door.

So I go about my day and finally arrive at my first opportunity to throw something the trash. Well, I open the lid and what I see makes the veins in my neck bulge and my face turn a furious shade of crimson and purple. Some no good bottom feeder put a trash sack in there that is fit for one of those 7x8in bathroom cans...NOT the 55 gallon Rubbermade Special we have in the much room.

It wasn't just the fact that somebody made a half assed attempt to re-bag the can - the immaculate pisser what that somebody THREW THEIR SHIT ON TOP OF THE collapsed, WAY too small trash sack. Not just one somebody - THREE different items of shit not lay on top of the can.

Whoever did this...I hope you violently stub your toe tomorrow morning. I hope you mistakingly grab the prep H instead of the Colgate. May your car not start in the morning, and here are two giant middle fingers right in your FACE!

Fleming said...

spooge: I generally dislike most people too until I get to know you well.

~d, DM and RomDdly: It must be a guy thing. My wife hates the fact that I fill the sink with unrinsed dishes and wait for her to fill the dishwasher. I tell her I'll do it if she mows the grass.

valyna: I especially loathe having TV interrupted to listen to more gibberish spewing from the mouth of our current so-called Commander-In-Chief.

RomDdly: ha ... "acrost". Y'uns have funny accents up there.

DM: I can't wait to get LASIK

sleek: I sometimes go for a week without contacts but that's about all I can stand.

Bad Billy: do flip flops count as sandals? no offense taken.

Hattica: dude, chill. I'm the closest person to you in the office and I don't want stray shrapnel ending my life prematurely.

Rob Zero said...

My current pet peeve: PETA.

Their politics irritate me as much as the current administration.

BirdMadGirl said...

Oh... and guys all of the sudden thinking pink is a great color for them to wear. I just don't get it.

Anonymous said...

Pet Peeves? I've had a few....

1-When people stop in a merge lane.

2-Radio stations right now.

3-People who think they are important in the moto-x community. Hey jack-hole, RC could walk up and down the mall by my house and no one would stop him.

3-Sorry Hattica but NASCAR and its popularity right now. Give me MotoGP, F1, hell even IRL. Just not a race series where you can be 50 yrs old and winning.

4-The fact that my dog Buddy bit me yesterday when I was trying to take food from him. Which means that I no longer have a best friend.

5-Never mind radio, the whole friggin music industry right now.

6-MTV not playing videos anymore.

7-People who talk in movie theaters

8-People who bowl you over to grab their bags at the airport. Hey jack-hole, it will come around again.

9-When customer service people can't say hi or thanks. It's not my fault you hate your job.

10-People who list all thier pet peeves.

Anonymous said...

Since the majority of these revolve around the kitchen here at work, I'll add a few of mine.

1. When someone finishes off the last of your milk, peanut butter, creamer, jelly, etc. and puts the empty back in the fridge/cupboard. I've learned that like it or not, wherever you hide it, your stuff here is going to be used without someone asking, and I've learned to deal with that. But, for Christ's sake, don't use every last bit of it!

2. On that same note, if you go to use my bread and notice that if you do use it, the heels will be the only thing left, don't fucking use it!

3. Coffee snobs. (Just kidding, B!)

Anonymous said...

Let me add smart ass Canadians to my list.

Dude, if there was a motorsport you could personally relate to and be pumped on it should be NASCAR. Come on, man - mouthy, over-weight, old guys making millions of dollars...think about it.

Wrong day to jack with me, Matthes.

Anonymous said...

Hattica--Well you got one out of three right. I don't make millions of dollars and am not mouthy. That term mouthy implies (to me) that I speak loudly and force my opinion on others.

I have opinions and convictions that I write about and people enjoy. They are free to disagree with me, thats what makes the world go around.

Its just great when you can disagree and leave out the personal attacks......oh wait, never mind.

SleekPelt said...

bad billy: Great list. And it's obvious you're kidding on #5, because that's one of the funniest things there is.

josh: Running out of coffee -- our peeves are similar.

wildflower: Any time! You're most welcome.

SleekPelt said...

olive: Great one about racism.

hattica: Uhh ... wow. That's an intense pet peeve.

valyna: I'm so with you on the pink thing.

matthes: I'm with you on a few of those, but college radio still has some good stuff going on in my opinion.

hoop: You can drink out of the bad pot then, pal! And don't listen to me an Valyna, your pink shirts are awesome!

hattica: Matthes just said he didn't like NASCAR. How is that an attack on you? And RtN is not the place to make cracks about someone's weight. Keep that off my blog.

Mom! Toilets blogged! said...

My pet peeve is: You know when truckers pee in a bottle and set it by the road? I hate that.
I spend a lot of time doing community service to appease a judgment against me and obeying several restraining orders. Well any how, I hate having to pick up those jugs of pee. I know those people don't wash their hands before or after.
So thats what I've got. I like pee jugs, don't get me wrong, but not washing your hands, that really peeves me.
Mom

SleekPelt said...

mom: Ha! That's awesome.

Anonymous said...

Holy Shit! I'm a late poster here.
Sleek: You know I'm with you on all of the coffee issues.
Office hands: The dishes- I'm feeling you there.
Fleming: The "reboot" thing is hilarious. I know I contribute to this frustration of yours.
Spooge: I think fuzzy duckies are nice too.
Romddly: I get frustrated with my parents PGH'eez too. I grew up with it and most likely do it myself as well (unknowingly of course). But, man can I call them out on it now that I live in good old Morgantown.
Ok, here are a few off the top of my head:

1) When you order a mexican pizza at Taco Bell and they hand it to you sideways in the bag and all of the cheese falls off the freaking thing!!!! Pisses me off to no end.

2) When you buy a product like a mirror, and the manufacturer puts a sticker on it that they know will need to be removed. Instead of putting a sticker on that will peel right off, they put on a freaking sticker that requires hours of intense labor to remove. Hot water/dishwasher- nope. Windex- try again. Goo-be-gone- not this time. It's a conspiracy to make our lives miserable!!! DAMNIT!!

3) When my babysitter decides to help out and do a load of laundry (bless her little heart) and she bleaches EVERYTHING. I actually had to make a sign that said "BLEACH" with the "NO" symbol around it...haha. It's true. I worked.

4) Trying to explain(over the phone)how to get around a computer to someone who doesn't have a clue about a computer. It's right in front of their face and they just can't see it. Or at least you think.

5) Trying to explain how to get a DVD going on the DVD player in my motorhome while I'm driving down the highway. There are many potential dangers here:
-If they don't get the DVD on fast enough the kids and I are going to go flip out.
-We could crash at any moment as 3/4's or more of my attention is directed to this whole process. For some reason no one can find the darn play button on the machine.
As I'm swerving and pointing and trying to stay calm I occasionally think of this poor passenger that has gotten stuck in this copilot/babysitter position with me. They didn't ask for this, right?.... JUST HIT THE DAMN PLAY BUTTON!!!!

6) The red string in a pack of gum that rarely ever assists in getting it open.

SleekPelt said...

jessie: I idea of you cruising down the road in that massive RV worrying about a DVD player is frightful indeed. I'm so with you on the sticker thing.

SleekPelt said...

Okay, I've got a few more peeves to add to my original list:

- Windshield wipers that don't work well

- Windshields getting dirty on the inside and not cleaning up easily

- People who are chronically negative

- Burning couches

Rob Zero said...

I'd like to change my peeve.

PEOPLE.
WHO.
DON'T.
USE.
TURN.
SIGNALS.

Zee said...

Wow, I've been really out of the loop for a while. Some great lists up there. Most of my big ones got named, but I have to point these 2 out:

#1) Guitar Hero. I HATE this thing. The amount of time energy and effort that people put into this stupid game is enough to actually learn how to play a fucking guitar. Seriously.

#2) The "Shorts" guy. Its been driving me crazy for nearly 1 years. Every crowd has a guy that insists---absolutely insists--on wearing shorts no matter the weather. You all know one. A guy wearing fucking cargo shorts in mid-January during a snow storm. I hate this guy and all he stands for. Unless its MY shorts guy. he gets a pass.

Anonymous said...

Sleek: Actually I decided to get the trash picking/third hand device called the Gopher (the long metal thing with a handle on one end and suction cups that squeeze together at the other)so I can just do it myself.
May I suggest that every parent get one. They are only $9.99 at, sorry to say it, Sleek... Walmart. There is always a need for a third hand while driving down the road:
The kids are constantly dropping things. With the Gopher you can pick it up with ease.
On those cold winter days when you look back at the kids and you see their noses running all over, just pick up the nimble Gopher and a tissue and get to work.
I have been collaborating with the makers of the Gopher in hopes to get one with a flashlight and key ring option.

SleekPelt said...

rob: I can't beieve I forgot that one!

zee: I don't know anything about that Guitar Hero stuff, except that everyone seems to talk about it a lot lately.

zee: Would you say that a third peeve of yours would be the "tight shorts guy"?

jessie: If it's not the squirrels, it's the gophers. You're a regular Jack Hannah over here!

getto said...

Based on a current experience, I have to play on the coffee peeve. I hate it when I brew the morning pot, only to find out, after pouring the first cup, that there is not enough sugar or not enough cream,except for like one cup!@#!?!
Similar peeve to sitting down on the toilet only to realize after the fact that there is no toilet paper.

getto said...

Jessie's got woodpeckers to boot. Compliment that with the deer in their backyard and the turkey,and they have their own little wildlife preserve. I have spent many an hour there tracking deer through the pool room window.

Susan Chipley said...

Getto: Yeah. I'm with you. At times I've had to break down and use skim milk in my coffee. NOT GOOD. Not as bad as having to wipe with a washcloth, though.

SleekPelt said...

getto: The next time you can't find cream and sugar for your coffee, I suggest going into your wife's closet and looking for a skirt to wear. Or you could just drink it black. ;)

Anonymous said...

getto: They are there right now. I feel like Ace Ventura. Everything lives in complete harmony down here in the forest.... until hunting season starts.
Well, sometimes the squirrels get all wound up, but we already know that.

Melissavina said...

I'm way late to the game but I love pet peeves (well, that doesn't make sense, does it?)

Aaaanywho...

1. driving on the freeway and getting spittle on my car from someone elses windshield wiper fluid. Bastards.

2. being touched with someones stinky feet. I don't care who you are, if you're over the age of 6 months I don't want anything to do with your feet.

3. when you've met someone a few times and you totally remember them but they don't remember and you have to introduce yourself again. To those people I say "I don't remember YOU!!"

4. I agree with the roadside jugs of pee. It hasn't been a peeve for long, but it is now.

5. People who say "ew" whenever you dish up some tasty food. If you don't like chicken don't eat it, but don't vocalize your disgust when I'm about to enjoy a tasty thigh.

6. When people slam my car door like it's hinges are that of a 1917 rusted war tank.

But in general, I don't let these pets get the best of me. I try to not be the explosive type, you know?

SleekPelt said...

melissavina: Welcome back! You have the opposite of a foot fetish, I think. As for the wiper-spray thing ... do you have a convertible?

g2thelow said...

People who post comments on a blog a week after the original post went up...uh, I mean....

Melissavina said...

I was catching up! Gaaaah.

SleekPelt said...

melissavina: Rest assured that G2theLow, being a most wonderful human being, was not referring to your late post, but instead was just making a joke about his own late post.

Posts on RtN are ALWAYS open for commenting, and I even installed a nifty little comment-updater widget on the main page there to make it easy to see the most recent comments, in case one happens to be on an older post.

Anonymous said...

Pet Peeves Include

1. Pets

2. Having a blog that is vastly inferior to RtN in looks, function and community.

3. Not even contributing to RtN even though I know it's vastly superior to mine in looks, function and community.

4. Not drinking coffee. I bet I could make my blog better and even contribute more to this one if I actually admitted that I am not a lazy, loser failure of a human being because I needed the crutch of caffiene to stay awake all day.

5. Spelling the word caffeene. I honestly don't know how to do it and if I go to dictionary.com to look it up, or open up a Word doc just to check, it will waste my time, which is precisely the type of ineffeciency that causes me to not have enough time to make a blog better than this or even post to this one.

6. Ditto ineffeciency with caffene.

7. The fear that I have screwed up whatever you have to do to post a comment on this blog, making me go into a giant 10 minute process just to post to a blog that every other person I work with can apparently dial in no problem (see #5 as a reference to innefieciency)

8. The idea that I have more work to do now at the end of the work day than I did when I came into work this morning, and knowing that if I spend 10 minutes just to post this, that I will be even 10 minutes closer to the end of the work day without having come any closer to completing any work because I just wasted 10 minutes complaining about being inefficient.

(Here goes the posting process. Fingers crossed...)

g2thelow said...

melissavina: Yeah, totally making fun of myself. Didn't put two and two together until you mentioned it. Kinda funny now that I look back on it!

SleekPelt said...

weege: Welcome! Congrats, you made it through the posting process, so you can scratch off one of your peeves. Great post.

Bad Billy said...

Sitting at a table with uneven (or bent) legs, thus it rocks back and forth.

getto said...

...Then spending the next ten minutes sticking sugar packets, folded napkins, toothpicks, your fork, or whatever else you can find trying to stabilize it, only to realize that all you really have accomplished is covering your hand in whatever goo is covering the floor that day.