All those little things and habits of other people (because of course I don't have any irritating habits) that are irksome. Here are my top ten not in any particular order. Naturally how irksome I find these little irritations depends on how much sleep I've had, what side of the bed I got out on, what I had for dinner last night (must remember to go easy on the red onion from now on), and what direction the wind is blowing.
Irritation#1: Our dog Kielsie bringing dirt up onto my nice new blue deck. It doesn't matter how many times a day I sweep and/or scrub the deck, it always looks dirty. Now I know why people paint their decks a dark colour.
Irritation#2: My sewing machine. The bobbin thread keeps breaking. It seems to depend on how the thread is wound onto the bobbin. The trick seems to be to wind it on to a bobbin from the reel of thread and then wind it from the bobbin onto another bobbin. I don't know why this works. It still breaks but not as often. I'd love a new machine but several years ago when I took it in for a minor repair I was told that it was an excellent machine that should keep going for years! Obviously that repair man was extremely irritating!
Irritation#3: Ants in my new kitchen. They moved in before we did! I'm still at the polishing-the-bench-top-every-time-I-do-the-dishes stage so it's not as if there are any crumbs of sticky patches to be had. In Australia we had ants: big ants that could give a terrible sting but we never had ants inside except when our offspring hid an half-eaten candy cane under the bed.
Irritation#4: People who have their cellphones on in church and in particular people who play games on their cellphones during church. And I don't buy the excuse that you have the Bible in three different translations on your cellphone. Sorry, but most teenagers don't get that excited over their Bibles nor do they share what they've just read with their friends and giggle over it. It's just for an hour or two once a week - surely you can live without it that long? (I realise that some people may need them on - as for example the air ambulance pilot when he's on call - but let's face it, these are not the ones who are irritating with their use of cellphones.)
Irritation#5: And while I'm at it, I can understand that young children may need some snack food during the church service, but adults? Unless you have a medical problem, wait until the service is over before skipping out and picking up that coffee from your favourite cafe.
Irritation#6: Lack of respect. It's said that people have to earn respect, but I beg to differ. I think people have to learn respect. Respect is about thinking about the other person first - and it's not something that comes easily. Lack of respect has reached pandemic proportions.
Irritation#7: RUGBY WORLD CUP. It's a game people. A game. Whoever wins this weekend, remember it's just a game.
Irritation#8: Internet that cuts out every time the phone rings. We have broadband: it's not meant to do this. But every time someone rings, our internet goes down for two hours or more. It usually only just comes back on in time for the next phone call. Replying to emails can be a challenge some days. Since this problem began with our renovations, we're hoping that once we move our phone line and computer that things will return to normal.
Irritation#9: Contractors who leave before finishing the job. Son#1 fixed up a temporary light switch for our kitchen/dining area so that at least we can now see to do the dishes at night, but really, what is so hard about the job that it's taken weeks to get a light switch installed?
Irritation#10: Actually I can't think of another irritation, but I'm sure there are more. There are days when my hair drives me crazy, my kids drive me crazy (not so much now although there are still some that leave messes everywhere when they come home), and there are definitely days when I drive myself crazy!
Irritation#1: Our dog Kielsie bringing dirt up onto my nice new blue deck. It doesn't matter how many times a day I sweep and/or scrub the deck, it always looks dirty. Now I know why people paint their decks a dark colour.
Irritation#2: My sewing machine. The bobbin thread keeps breaking. It seems to depend on how the thread is wound onto the bobbin. The trick seems to be to wind it on to a bobbin from the reel of thread and then wind it from the bobbin onto another bobbin. I don't know why this works. It still breaks but not as often. I'd love a new machine but several years ago when I took it in for a minor repair I was told that it was an excellent machine that should keep going for years! Obviously that repair man was extremely irritating!
Irritation#3: Ants in my new kitchen. They moved in before we did! I'm still at the polishing-the-bench-top-every-time-I-do-the-dishes stage so it's not as if there are any crumbs of sticky patches to be had. In Australia we had ants: big ants that could give a terrible sting but we never had ants inside except when our offspring hid an half-eaten candy cane under the bed.
Irritation#4: People who have their cellphones on in church and in particular people who play games on their cellphones during church. And I don't buy the excuse that you have the Bible in three different translations on your cellphone. Sorry, but most teenagers don't get that excited over their Bibles nor do they share what they've just read with their friends and giggle over it. It's just for an hour or two once a week - surely you can live without it that long? (I realise that some people may need them on - as for example the air ambulance pilot when he's on call - but let's face it, these are not the ones who are irritating with their use of cellphones.)
Irritation#5: And while I'm at it, I can understand that young children may need some snack food during the church service, but adults? Unless you have a medical problem, wait until the service is over before skipping out and picking up that coffee from your favourite cafe.
Irritation#6: Lack of respect. It's said that people have to earn respect, but I beg to differ. I think people have to learn respect. Respect is about thinking about the other person first - and it's not something that comes easily. Lack of respect has reached pandemic proportions.
Irritation#7: RUGBY WORLD CUP. It's a game people. A game. Whoever wins this weekend, remember it's just a game.
Irritation#8: Internet that cuts out every time the phone rings. We have broadband: it's not meant to do this. But every time someone rings, our internet goes down for two hours or more. It usually only just comes back on in time for the next phone call. Replying to emails can be a challenge some days. Since this problem began with our renovations, we're hoping that once we move our phone line and computer that things will return to normal.
Irritation#9: Contractors who leave before finishing the job. Son#1 fixed up a temporary light switch for our kitchen/dining area so that at least we can now see to do the dishes at night, but really, what is so hard about the job that it's taken weeks to get a light switch installed?
Irritation#10: Actually I can't think of another irritation, but I'm sure there are more. There are days when my hair drives me crazy, my kids drive me crazy (not so much now although there are still some that leave messes everywhere when they come home), and there are definitely days when I drive myself crazy!
Comments
I actually once had a blue deck (or rather porch) on an old apartment and it never stayed clean. I could not even get it clean after a few months. The landlady painted it between each tenant, so it was new paint when I moved in. Maybe if she painted it a darker color she would not have had to paint it so often (but she was such a good landlady, she probably still would have.)
The below photos of Most Adorable Granddaughter #2 are sooooooooooo cute. She looks so serious (as well she should. Measuring is important!)
Hope you are well,
winterwren