Thirteen on Thursday...

Don't be all *SHOCKED* because I actually am posting my 13 on Thursday ON Thursday. Okay, it's alright to be a wee bit shocked. I'm a bit surprised myself. I actually did not think I would be able to come up with 13 things of my topic, but lo and behold, I was able to come up with 13 and then some.

Thanks to Julie from NY, AND Kristin from PA for the great topic of PET PEEVES. Apparently they are both negative Nellys and have a TON. I didn't think that many things bothered me, but once I got going, I no longer considered those two negative, as much as they are just probably very perceptive. Feel free to chime in on any peeves that you might have- and let's all revel in all things (or people) that are irritating. Mwahahahahaha. (evil laugh).

Here goes it- in no particular order.

1. Leaving your shopping cart in the parking lot- and not in the designated cart area. SERIOUSLY? I have 5 kids and still manage to put my cart where it belongs. It damages cars, and it's just plain lazy. Park by the cart corral and put it away. I love to catch people in the act of leaving their cart some place it OBVIOUSLY doesn't go and saying in my most kindest, sickeningly sweetest voice "Oh, I'll take that back for you". (While I have one child on my hip and 4 in tow). Usually they say, "that's okay, I can get it". I hope it gets them to realize that it's not that difficult after all.

2. Driving around for 20 minutes to find a spot close so you don't have to walk 10 yards more. Really? Who has time to drive circles in a lot just waiting for someone to pull out? Chances are, two rows over and three rows back there is an empty spot with your name on it. Stop being lazy, park a little bit away and walk that donut off.

3. Litterbugs. (are we sensing the "Lazy" theme yet?). Put your trash away. In a recepticle. Seriously. I  told my kids the first time they were small and tried putting some trash on the ground - "think about if everyone in the world dropped one piece of trash on the ground at the same time. What a mess that would be!!". Now they are little garbage pickeruppers. I have guilt if I walk by something on the ground and don't make an effort to find a trash to put it in. Let's just do our part to keep ol' Mother Earth looking her best.

4. Leaving cabinet doors open. SHUT THE CABINET DOOR- really. Just do it.

5.Rubberneckers. I dated a guy that was a TOTAL rubbernecker. Once we were driving by a wreck and he was staring. I said "stop being a rubbernecker". With his head spun and neck extended- looking like a cross between an owl and a giraffe, he said "What's a rubbernecker?!?". I broke up with him on the spot. It was worth the walk home for him being such a doofus. (ps only half of the story is true- I'll let you guess which half).

6. Fishers for compliments. "I look terrible". "I look fat". If that's how you feel, I'm not going to argue with you. Chances are you aren't fat and don't look terrible, but you need to figure that out on your own. Beauty shines from within and if you have it, it will show. The compliments will follow. I'm not biting.

7. Braggers. Along the same lines as "fishers" (both suffering from low self esteem) braggers are so over the top about themselves, it's not even funny. Again- if it were true, you wouldn't have to say it outloud. If you're great, we'll know it. Braggers come in two categories: Outdooers, and One-uppers. Outdooers can do the same things that you can do only they do it better (just ask them). One-uppers can not only do what you can do better, but they also have done it a hundred times more and 50 times more intense. This is a fun person to bait with conversation. Don't get irritated with them, just let them tell their "catch of the day, building Noah's Ark, SuperBowl winning touchdown" story and have a good laugh. It's sad-  but humorous at the same time.

8. Copycats. It's okay to borrow (okay, steal) ideas from someone- just give them the credit. Is it that hard? If you don't know where you got the idea, that's okay, but if you know it's not yours- fess up. I totally stole the idea for 10 on Tuesday from my good friend JT. And she knows it. But she's cool because I say "I'm totally stealing that from you" and then I ended up making it my own anyway. Half the time I say "I'm totally going to steal that from you" I don't end up doing it anyway, so nobody has anything to worry about. I'm not a wheel inventor, but I do have some (somewhat) original ideas. If you'd like to borrow (okay, steal) them, I'm flattered. Just give some props.

9. How about when you are at the checkout at a department store and the phone rings. Now you are there, with your goods in hand, ready to pay- and the clerk is going to make you wait while they tend to the person who is on the phone. Oh- so rude. As a former retailer- I can tell you that it's so important to TREAT THE PERSON WHO IS IN FRONT OF YOU LIKE THEY ARE YOUR LAST CUSTOMER EVERRRRRR. The person on the phone is most likely shopping around and may or may not end up spending money at your establishment. Take care of me. I'm here, spending money, giving you job security. Give me your attention.

10. Artificial dye. In anything. Would we really know any different if everything "cherry" flavored wasn't red? And that stuff stains everything. People obviously realize that or there wouldn't be "dye-free" products. And why is Raspberry flavored stuff BLUE? What genius came up with that idea? 

11. Trying to do anything "quick" and having it take WAAAAAAAY longer than it should have. It could be anything from getting on the computer to running in the store. I know, I get it. Sometimes things just happen. I roll with it, but it's still a pet peeve.

12. Low pant wearers. These dudes defy the law of gravity with their "pants on the ground". I'm a total rubbernecker when it comes to that whole pants below your bum swagger. I have to stare. They amaze and annoy me at the same time. Pull your pants up and put your legs together. And whattup with the one pant leg up? I need to know. It buggeth me.

13. People that skim when they read. Especially when it comes to my blog. You know who you are. There will be a quiz later. You'd better study.