I graduated from high school in 1995. Just three short years later, the world was watching as the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke and the President of the United States was threatened with impeachment. The allegations actually started in 1994 when a woman Clinton worked with in 1991 came forward saying that Clinton had made unwanted sexual advances towards her and, in so doing, had violated her civil rights. Monica Lewinsky began working in the White House in 1995 as an intern. In November of that same year, she began having a sexual relationship with President Clinton, a married man. (You can research more about the topic by simply Googling it.)
As a young 21-year-old woman at the time, I didn't really understand what all the "fuss" was about regarding this supposed affair between the President and Monica Lewinsky. So he was a cheat. Big deal! She was young and impressionable and made a stupid decision to sleep with a married man. Her problem! Hilary didn't have the guts to leave a cheat because the money was too good. I guess if you care more about money than yourself, so be it! Those were my basic thoughts about the whole thing. Surely there need not be any consideration about future problems that would result from this issue. Or so I thought.
I remember Mom and Dad talking about what was happening with the President. I remember them saying how all the publicity about it was going to open the floodgates to worse things happening. I remember them discussing how it would change the world's views on sexual relations, inappropriate relationships, and adultery. But as a young woman with her whole life ahead of her, I didn't really see how the President being an idiot would impact my life or the lives of those I loved directly.
Fast forward 17 years to the legalization of gay marriage. (This is not a debate about whether gay marriage is right or wrong.) I can look back over the last 17 years and see exactly what Mom and Dad were talking about and why they were concerned for the welfare of their children and grandchildren because of what happened with President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky. The floodgates were opened, and suddenly we started to see television shows that celebrated sexual relations outside of marriage, messages that adultery was okay as long as you were in love with the other person, and the breaking up of families through divorce and other selfish reasons that supposedly "made everyone happy." There were also shows with people "coming out", shows accepting lifestyles that were "do what you want if it makes you happy", and full of alcohol and drug use. And now we have television shows where people are openly gay and applauded for their lifestyle, shows full of innuendo (even in shows for young children), shows full of drug use and alcohol abuse, shows full of physical and emotional and verbal abuse against men and women and children, and shows that tell us the world is still living in the dark ages because we don't accept all of these things as "normal", "acceptable", or "reasonable." Yes, now I understand what my parents were talking about.
And since hindsight is 20/20, I see similar things happening with the legalization of gay marriage. Several of the young women I taught for years (and discussed the ramifications for society of legalizing gay marriage and accepting actions and behaviors and lifestyles that weren't in accordance with God's will) are now openly following, liking, and even supporting the legalization of gay marriage. The problem is they are where I was 17 years ago. Their eyes have yet to be opened. They have yet to understand and comprehend fully the ramifications of what this means for society as a whole and for religious people who believe in and try to live Christian values. Where will that leave us in another 17 years?
It breaks my heart to see how easily and how willingly young people have accepted what has been forced upon them by the very loud minority. Instead of following their parents examples of loving all, treating all with kindness and respect, and doing all of that without condoning what is wrong in the eyes of God, they are openly defying what they were taught (at least in my class) that they can love the sinner and hate the sin, they can be kind and thoughtful and respectful without condoning beliefs that don't make our Heavenly Father happy, and that they can (and should!) openly support marriage between one man and one woman because it really is the best way for children to grow and thrive. It's not just a matter of loving who you want to love. It's a matter of saving our society from deteriorating to the point of no return.
If I could save them from having 20/20 hindsight later, I would! I've wished several times in the last 17 years that I had been clued in better to what was happening and be able to listen to my parents with a more open mind. If I had, I might have seen what was coming and been more prepared to deal with it. It looks like some, however, have to have that "live and learn" experience. But boy, oh boy, can it be rough! And I'm afraid we're headed for some very murky and rough waters in the next 17 years.
The one bright shining hope, however, is the promise that if we live the way we're supposed to live and do what we're supposed to do, we will recognize the Savior when He comes and eventually be able to return to live with Him and with our Heavenly Father. I'll admit that sometimes I pray for that day to come sooner rather than later, especially knowing what we'll have to face as religious people and as a society in the coming years. It will not get any easier to live by standards deemed "old" or "out of date" by others. As I think about the blessings that came to the righteous in Book of Mormon times, however, I see that bright, shining hope glowing ever brighter.
And THAT is what keeps my sanity.
*I had this post written on the morning of June 30, 2015 as a "scheduled" post to go out tonight (thus you see the time as 7:40 pm). At about 4:00 p.m. today, I saw the following link online and it says basically what I was trying to say here, only the article says it better. In case you are interested in reading it: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/top-church-leaders-counsel-members-after-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-decision
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
Monday, June 29, 2015
Lawn Mowers
Let's talk lawn mowers. We currently have a Craftsman riding mower. It does the job and works well. We've had some issues with it (blades needed sharpening, a tire problem, etc.), but it's not very old and still in good shape. But I don't like that mower. It's big, but still feels cramped when you ride it. The turning radius is terrible. The bag and catcher have never worked correctly. It has ... problems.
Something like one of these is what I would *love* to have instead:
The first one with the steering wheel would be ideal. I would worry about trying to work the other one. It might be a little too ... complicated for me? How do you work those bars? Left down to go left, right down to go right? Plus, what would happen if it tipped or something? It feels like you'd be more trapped with that one, but maybe not.
What I do like is the container for your feet. It looks very solid. The engine is also in the back, so no more hot legs (that are already scorching hot because of the 100 degree days we've had). The thing I don't get is where the bag goes. Or does it not have bags available? We really need a new bag and catcher on our Craftsman, but they cost a good chunk of money. If these mulched, etc., it might be worth it to invest in a machine like this than trying to find the exact bag and catcher that will work with what we currently have.
Our current tractor has a 42" deck, so it would be nice to have something wider, but still compact. These "dream machines" are both 42" as well, but it's their design that does it for me. Guess I'd better start saving my pennies and hope the Craftsman doesn't give out too soon. Until then, I'll try to be grateful that we even have a mower, especially since the grass is shriveling up under all this heat. We might not even need a mower when this summer gets over!
Something like one of these is what I would *love* to have instead:
The first one with the steering wheel would be ideal. I would worry about trying to work the other one. It might be a little too ... complicated for me? How do you work those bars? Left down to go left, right down to go right? Plus, what would happen if it tipped or something? It feels like you'd be more trapped with that one, but maybe not.
What I do like is the container for your feet. It looks very solid. The engine is also in the back, so no more hot legs (that are already scorching hot because of the 100 degree days we've had). The thing I don't get is where the bag goes. Or does it not have bags available? We really need a new bag and catcher on our Craftsman, but they cost a good chunk of money. If these mulched, etc., it might be worth it to invest in a machine like this than trying to find the exact bag and catcher that will work with what we currently have.
Our current tractor has a 42" deck, so it would be nice to have something wider, but still compact. These "dream machines" are both 42" as well, but it's their design that does it for me. Guess I'd better start saving my pennies and hope the Craftsman doesn't give out too soon. Until then, I'll try to be grateful that we even have a mower, especially since the grass is shriveling up under all this heat. We might not even need a mower when this summer gets over!
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Fire Pit Station
We've had a fire pit for years now. I originally bought one that was medium-sized, and it served us well. But then I found a great deal on a large fire pit, so I bought it and gave the other one to my brother. I like the fact that the fire pit is mobile and can be dragged to wherever we want to use it. It's come in handy to use it in the front yard during the summer when the back yard is a sweltering 2,506 degrees. We sit in the shade of the front yard with a fire burning and enjoy the fire pit, even in the thick summer heat.
As part of my home improvement "wants", I'd really love to have a fire pit station in our backyard. We can still use the mobile pit for fires out front, but in the Spring and Fall a fire pit station in the backyard would be really nice. Mom is in agreement, but things like this take time, money, and effort. Mostly money.
I've been pricing pavers through Lowe's and Home Depot. It seems they have some at a pretty reasonable price. We don't need anything fancy. They have some red-ish pavers that would complement or maybe even match the bricks of our house. We do have some landscape curbing, so even some of the gray cement looking pavers would work well. It would take some cutting, however, since the section of yard we would use has some curves. The idea is to build a stationary fire pit that is easy to access and clean year-round and also adds some variety to the yard.
The following are some images that spark my imagination about possibilities, and they make me excited to get started on a project like this that's useful and adds value to our yard. (All images were found by Googling "diy fire pit".)
I like this one because it leaves the grass as-is and is still off the ground enough that little kids can't fall in. (They can climb in, yes, but it's also got a big enough lip that parents would likely catch them before they got too far.)
For now, I'll keep dreaming about my fire pit station. At least Mom is on board with it, so when we do finally decide what we want and get the measurements and supplies, it will be gung-ho with the project. I can't wait! If/when we ever get it done, I'll have to take pictures to show what we finally decided to do. Sounds like a good summer project, right?
As part of my home improvement "wants", I'd really love to have a fire pit station in our backyard. We can still use the mobile pit for fires out front, but in the Spring and Fall a fire pit station in the backyard would be really nice. Mom is in agreement, but things like this take time, money, and effort. Mostly money.
I've been pricing pavers through Lowe's and Home Depot. It seems they have some at a pretty reasonable price. We don't need anything fancy. They have some red-ish pavers that would complement or maybe even match the bricks of our house. We do have some landscape curbing, so even some of the gray cement looking pavers would work well. It would take some cutting, however, since the section of yard we would use has some curves. The idea is to build a stationary fire pit that is easy to access and clean year-round and also adds some variety to the yard.
The following are some images that spark my imagination about possibilities, and they make me excited to get started on a project like this that's useful and adds value to our yard. (All images were found by Googling "diy fire pit".)
I like this one because it leaves the grass as-is and is still off the ground enough that little kids can't fall in. (They can climb in, yes, but it's also got a big enough lip that parents would likely catch them before they got too far.)
I like the looks of this one because it's square. So many are round (our mobile one is round), so this gives a little different detail to the yard. Plus, since we would put it in a somewhat circular space, it would be interesting to have the different shapes together for more angles and interest. I also like the height and the idea of having grill options for the top. There's nothing like a burger cooked over a hot fire!
This is kind of a cool idea because it would put the mobile fire pit to use and still allow it to be mobile if we wanted to move it to the front yard. These are a similar shape/texture to the pavers I've seen on Lowe's and Home Depot's websites.
This is more what I imagine doing. Although, the area where we would like to have a station is not nearly this large. (That is one HUGE pit!) But I like how the pavers are put down and spaced out to give the fire air. I also like the idea of being able to size it however we want. The mobile fire pit is large, but we could go a little larger on a permanent one for the backyard.
This is a more simplified version of a pit station. Again, it would leave the grass intact, and I like the larger rectangular pavers. They are cheaper, too, plus they look pretty neat offset like this. I'd definitely want to create a couple or three more "layers" of the pavers to keep it off the ground. I think it would look similar to the station above, but uses the rectangular pavers instead of the naturally curved ones, which might be easier. The reason I say easier is because the curved pavers kind of have to match up in order to look decent. These rectangular ones wouldn't need an exact line up to look good.
For now, I'll keep dreaming about my fire pit station. At least Mom is on board with it, so when we do finally decide what we want and get the measurements and supplies, it will be gung-ho with the project. I can't wait! If/when we ever get it done, I'll have to take pictures to show what we finally decided to do. Sounds like a good summer project, right?
Friday, June 26, 2015
Recipe: Bowtie Caprese Toss
I found this recipe online through Good Housekeeping, and it looks SO good. We really enjoy eating bruschetta with the toasted bread, fresh mozzarella cheese and basil, and drizzled with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. It's a tasty and fresh summer time dinner/treat/appetizer/snack that takes only a little time and doesn't heat the house up to boiling.
Since we've already had some 100 degree weather (and since we're in for a LOT more in the coming week), I thought this was a good way to enjoy caprese served cold. I haven't made it yet, but when I do I'll probably make some adjustments (because that's how I roll). It might end up being our go-to pasta salad. I mean, look at these ingredients. YUM, right?
Bowtie Caprese Toss
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces mini bowtie pasta (farfalle)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 clove garlic
6 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 green onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (Since I'm not a huge fan of parsley, I think I would omit this ingredient and put basil in its place.)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In large bowl, combine tomatoes and salt; set aside. Heat covered 3-quart saucepan of salted water to boiling on high. Add bowtie pasta and cook as label directs. Drain pasta and transfer to bowl with tomatoes, stirring until well combined. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, in 10-inch non-stick skillet, heat olive oil on medium for one minute, then add onion. Cook one minute or until onion begins to soften; add balsamic vinegar and water, stirring to coat. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is soft and almost all liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and add garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned. Cool completely. Add onion mixture to pasta and tomatoes, along with mozzarella, green onion, parsley, and black pepper.
Doesn't that sound delish?! I can't wait to try it and hope to find time to make it soon.
I'd also like to add that Costco is so very good and so very bad for me. Costco has an amazing selection of cheese. They have fresh mozzarella that's already pre-sliced (works perfectly on that bruschetta!), and it would be so easy to dice up for this pasta salad. I was at Costco last night and noticed they have a selection of the cherry tomatoes as well. I should have bought some, but didn't. Another reason (excuse!) to go back, I guess. Maybe that will give me time to stand in the cheese aisle and dream up recipes for each of the cheese flavors. And yes, that is a true source of entertainment for me.
Since we've already had some 100 degree weather (and since we're in for a LOT more in the coming week), I thought this was a good way to enjoy caprese served cold. I haven't made it yet, but when I do I'll probably make some adjustments (because that's how I roll). It might end up being our go-to pasta salad. I mean, look at these ingredients. YUM, right?
Bowtie Caprese Toss
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces mini bowtie pasta (farfalle)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons water
1 clove garlic
6 ounces fresh mozzarella
1 green onion
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (Since I'm not a huge fan of parsley, I think I would omit this ingredient and put basil in its place.)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In large bowl, combine tomatoes and salt; set aside. Heat covered 3-quart saucepan of salted water to boiling on high. Add bowtie pasta and cook as label directs. Drain pasta and transfer to bowl with tomatoes, stirring until well combined. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, in 10-inch non-stick skillet, heat olive oil on medium for one minute, then add onion. Cook one minute or until onion begins to soften; add balsamic vinegar and water, stirring to coat. Cover and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until onion is soft and almost all liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
Uncover and add garlic. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is lightly browned. Cool completely. Add onion mixture to pasta and tomatoes, along with mozzarella, green onion, parsley, and black pepper.
Doesn't that sound delish?! I can't wait to try it and hope to find time to make it soon.
I'd also like to add that Costco is so very good and so very bad for me. Costco has an amazing selection of cheese. They have fresh mozzarella that's already pre-sliced (works perfectly on that bruschetta!), and it would be so easy to dice up for this pasta salad. I was at Costco last night and noticed they have a selection of the cherry tomatoes as well. I should have bought some, but didn't. Another reason (excuse!) to go back, I guess. Maybe that will give me time to stand in the cheese aisle and dream up recipes for each of the cheese flavors. And yes, that is a true source of entertainment for me.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Can't Help Myself
Does anyone else have certain candies that they can't stop eating once they've started? I wish I could say I did not have that problem, but I do. And these are a couple of my problems.
First, there are these:
My most favorite location to eat these is at the movie theater. After I've eaten a decent share of popcorn (with all the salt and butter, of course), I grab for these. Dang if they don't hit the exact spot for cravings at that point. In reality, I can eat these any time, any day, and in huge amounts. Maybe there's an addictive property in them or something. I don't know. I will say that when I introduced Mom to them, she was a little hesitant at first to try them. She thought the sour part would be too much. And then? She tried them - and she was hooked! She's as bad as, if not worse, than I am when it comes to these things. We can't help ourselves! They're impossible to stop eating.
In second place are these:
I don't know what it is about Hot Tamales, but no matter how on fire my mouth is or how many I've eaten, I can't stop until they're gone. What makes these doubly bad is that the pharmacy across the street from where I work has little baggies of them for $.75 a pop. It's a cheap treat, and I tend to fill up on multiple bags whenever I'm there. The problem is that sometimes I can't stop at one small bag. For someone trying to cut back on sweets and keep their calories in check, this is not a good thing.
For some people, their "addiction" lies in chocolate. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy a good piece of chocolate now and then. But when I'm reaching for a sweet, no matter where I am, I tend to lean toward the chewier stuff. It lasts longer than chocolate, which melts right away and is gone before you can really savor and enjoy it. Chewy candies tend to stick around for a bit longer, maybe making me more satisfied. Or craving more?
One other "candy" that takes the cake are Jordan almonds. Mom and I rationalize that they're not really a candy since the center is actually an almond. Protein! That means it's healthy! Haha, not really, but still a good rationale for ODing on Jordan almonds. I think on more than one occasion, Mom has actually eaten Jordan almonds as a meal. It wouldn't be difficult to do! If only they weren't so darn expensive. Maybe that's also why I stick with the others more often. They're more affordable to eat in large quantities.
First, there are these:
My most favorite location to eat these is at the movie theater. After I've eaten a decent share of popcorn (with all the salt and butter, of course), I grab for these. Dang if they don't hit the exact spot for cravings at that point. In reality, I can eat these any time, any day, and in huge amounts. Maybe there's an addictive property in them or something. I don't know. I will say that when I introduced Mom to them, she was a little hesitant at first to try them. She thought the sour part would be too much. And then? She tried them - and she was hooked! She's as bad as, if not worse, than I am when it comes to these things. We can't help ourselves! They're impossible to stop eating.
In second place are these:
I don't know what it is about Hot Tamales, but no matter how on fire my mouth is or how many I've eaten, I can't stop until they're gone. What makes these doubly bad is that the pharmacy across the street from where I work has little baggies of them for $.75 a pop. It's a cheap treat, and I tend to fill up on multiple bags whenever I'm there. The problem is that sometimes I can't stop at one small bag. For someone trying to cut back on sweets and keep their calories in check, this is not a good thing.
For some people, their "addiction" lies in chocolate. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy a good piece of chocolate now and then. But when I'm reaching for a sweet, no matter where I am, I tend to lean toward the chewier stuff. It lasts longer than chocolate, which melts right away and is gone before you can really savor and enjoy it. Chewy candies tend to stick around for a bit longer, maybe making me more satisfied. Or craving more?
One other "candy" that takes the cake are Jordan almonds. Mom and I rationalize that they're not really a candy since the center is actually an almond. Protein! That means it's healthy! Haha, not really, but still a good rationale for ODing on Jordan almonds. I think on more than one occasion, Mom has actually eaten Jordan almonds as a meal. It wouldn't be difficult to do! If only they weren't so darn expensive. Maybe that's also why I stick with the others more often. They're more affordable to eat in large quantities.
Friday, June 19, 2015
Pet Peeves
Everybody has them. Some are rational, some are not. These are some of my biggest pet peeves.
Crumbs left in the butter. Why? It's so ... gross. I don't know why, but someone leaving crumbs in the butter (or jam - just as bad) is annoying. How hard is it to use that little extra pat of butter? Plus, who wants to butter their fresh bread for a grilled cheese sandwich with who-knows-how-many-days-old crumbs in the butter? And butter left in the jam jar. Holy disgusting. It hardens again and looks like a weird yellow-y mold. Scoop it out! Don't leave it there for me to find, please.
Tailgaters. They drive me crazy! Usually, I'm being tailgated when I'm behind a dozen other vehicles. Clearly the driver behind me knows that I can't go any faster than the vehicle(s) in front of me. Having been in an accident where I was rear-ended at a high rate of speed, could you back off a bit please? Follow me at the 1 car length per every 10 miles per hour of speed we're going. I give you the same courtesy when I'm behind you.
Pee on/around the toilet seat. I know it's impossible to aim. Pee does what it wants and goes where it wants. There's little control. You CAN, however, control whether or not you wipe it up after the fact. Why leave it for others to wipe up later after it's dried and stinky? It's especially disgusting when I have to wipe it off walls. It makes me want to re-paint every day just so I don't have to touch it.
Leaving the microwave at 1 second. Seriously? Hit the clear button so it goes back to the clock. That's how you found it; leave it the same way. If a microwave has a clock it's most likely people use it as a way to tell time. Leaving it at 1 second doesn't tell the time, does it? No, so hit the clear button and return it to "normal" status.
Using other people's things. I simply don't understand this. It's not uncommon for people (mostly family) to walk in my bathroom, look through my cabinets, and use my stuff. You're staying the weekend and will need a blow dryer? Bring your own. Don't use mine because it's a matter of convenience. If you really forgot to bring/pack yours, that's a different story. But still ask. It's the polite thing to do. Q-tips? Same thing. Just because they're there doesn't mean it's an open-ended invitation to use them as freely as you like. Someone pays for those. That someone is me. That someone also tries to "budget" her own use of items, and you walking in and using them puts her waaaaaay over budget. If you need one, ask. I'm likely to give the okay, but at least then I know what's been used. The same thing goes for shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. I don't walk into your home and start going through your cupboards and cabinets to take a mental inventory of what's available for my personal use. It's rude and extremely selfish. Plan ahead, and then make an effort to ask if/when you need to use something.
Sneezing/coughing/breathing on other people when you're sick. Common sense, people. If you don't feel well, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Avoid being in tight spaces with people where your germs could be spread through breathing. Sometimes you can't help it (work meeting, Church setting, etc.), but if you even remotely think you're contagious, stay home. Nobody else wants or needs your icky sickies.
Along with using other people's things, digging through people's fridges. For some reason, in our family, some people think the fridge is a free-for-all. They assume whatever is in there they can have. Well, guess what? At our house, there isn't only one person buying groceries. Sometimes certain groceries are purchased for a certain meal. Maybe we're planning to deliver a meal to sick neighbors. Maybe we have company coming in a few days. Even if none of those things are applicable, it's nice to be asked before having your fridge rummaged through. It's also rude to make the assumption that your eating whatever you want doesn't impact those who purchased and/or cooked the meal.
Cramming the garbage with more garbage when the garbage is already nearing the top. I definitely don't want to touch other people's garbage (especially food garbage or dirty paper plate garbage), so I assume others don't want to deal with it either. If the bag is nearing full, pull it out and put another in the pail. Along with that, fill up the nearly full bag the rest of the way before beginning to fill up the empty garbage bag.
Snot. Oh my gosh. Wipe your nose and/or your kid's nose stat. Recently, a member of our Bishopric was telling me about a kid at the swimming pool who had snot trailing him as he swam. GAG. I threw up a little in my mouth as he told me. They had to clear the pool and scoop the snot out. Now, I get that swimming pools tend to drain the sinuses because of all the chemicals there to keep it clean. Still ... get rid of it! Nobody needs to see that.
People who don't answer their phones or respond to texts. This is simply rude, especially when it's those same people who call/text and expect the person they're trying to reach to answer that call or text. If you're going to call/text me and expect an immediate response, be as kind on the other end and answer when I call/text. Even if it's to acknowledge that I sent the text (e.g. "OK", etc.), it goes a long way in making a person feel like they were heard.
Single HOV riders without an HOV pass. For the life of me, I don't understand this one, especially because it's blatantly disobeying the law. The reason there are a limited number of passes for the HOV lane is NOT because they have all been purchased. The state won't issue any more because the average rate of speed for a large percentage of the time must be 55 mph or higher in the HOV lane. It can't work when every Tom, Dick, and Jane are riding in that lane as a single person. It totally defeats the purpose of the HOV lane. And for those, like me, that are driving more expensive vehicles to maintain and have paid for a pass, it's really rude for other drivers to hinder us when we're already paying more money to have that "luxury" in our commute.
That's it - for now. Surely, these pet peeves are nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the time, I try to let things go, but occasionally they irritate me to the point of saying something. I guess now I can look at this post instead of verbalizing it out loud, huh? Or not. Because sometimes saying it makes you feel better. Plus, it helps others realize they aren't the only existing human beings on the planet, which is quite a feat in and of itself.
Crumbs left in the butter. Why? It's so ... gross. I don't know why, but someone leaving crumbs in the butter (or jam - just as bad) is annoying. How hard is it to use that little extra pat of butter? Plus, who wants to butter their fresh bread for a grilled cheese sandwich with who-knows-how-many-days-old crumbs in the butter? And butter left in the jam jar. Holy disgusting. It hardens again and looks like a weird yellow-y mold. Scoop it out! Don't leave it there for me to find, please.
Tailgaters. They drive me crazy! Usually, I'm being tailgated when I'm behind a dozen other vehicles. Clearly the driver behind me knows that I can't go any faster than the vehicle(s) in front of me. Having been in an accident where I was rear-ended at a high rate of speed, could you back off a bit please? Follow me at the 1 car length per every 10 miles per hour of speed we're going. I give you the same courtesy when I'm behind you.
Pee on/around the toilet seat. I know it's impossible to aim. Pee does what it wants and goes where it wants. There's little control. You CAN, however, control whether or not you wipe it up after the fact. Why leave it for others to wipe up later after it's dried and stinky? It's especially disgusting when I have to wipe it off walls. It makes me want to re-paint every day just so I don't have to touch it.
Leaving the microwave at 1 second. Seriously? Hit the clear button so it goes back to the clock. That's how you found it; leave it the same way. If a microwave has a clock it's most likely people use it as a way to tell time. Leaving it at 1 second doesn't tell the time, does it? No, so hit the clear button and return it to "normal" status.
Using other people's things. I simply don't understand this. It's not uncommon for people (mostly family) to walk in my bathroom, look through my cabinets, and use my stuff. You're staying the weekend and will need a blow dryer? Bring your own. Don't use mine because it's a matter of convenience. If you really forgot to bring/pack yours, that's a different story. But still ask. It's the polite thing to do. Q-tips? Same thing. Just because they're there doesn't mean it's an open-ended invitation to use them as freely as you like. Someone pays for those. That someone is me. That someone also tries to "budget" her own use of items, and you walking in and using them puts her waaaaaay over budget. If you need one, ask. I'm likely to give the okay, but at least then I know what's been used. The same thing goes for shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc. I don't walk into your home and start going through your cupboards and cabinets to take a mental inventory of what's available for my personal use. It's rude and extremely selfish. Plan ahead, and then make an effort to ask if/when you need to use something.
Sneezing/coughing/breathing on other people when you're sick. Common sense, people. If you don't feel well, cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze. Avoid being in tight spaces with people where your germs could be spread through breathing. Sometimes you can't help it (work meeting, Church setting, etc.), but if you even remotely think you're contagious, stay home. Nobody else wants or needs your icky sickies.
Along with using other people's things, digging through people's fridges. For some reason, in our family, some people think the fridge is a free-for-all. They assume whatever is in there they can have. Well, guess what? At our house, there isn't only one person buying groceries. Sometimes certain groceries are purchased for a certain meal. Maybe we're planning to deliver a meal to sick neighbors. Maybe we have company coming in a few days. Even if none of those things are applicable, it's nice to be asked before having your fridge rummaged through. It's also rude to make the assumption that your eating whatever you want doesn't impact those who purchased and/or cooked the meal.
Cramming the garbage with more garbage when the garbage is already nearing the top. I definitely don't want to touch other people's garbage (especially food garbage or dirty paper plate garbage), so I assume others don't want to deal with it either. If the bag is nearing full, pull it out and put another in the pail. Along with that, fill up the nearly full bag the rest of the way before beginning to fill up the empty garbage bag.
Snot. Oh my gosh. Wipe your nose and/or your kid's nose stat. Recently, a member of our Bishopric was telling me about a kid at the swimming pool who had snot trailing him as he swam. GAG. I threw up a little in my mouth as he told me. They had to clear the pool and scoop the snot out. Now, I get that swimming pools tend to drain the sinuses because of all the chemicals there to keep it clean. Still ... get rid of it! Nobody needs to see that.
People who don't answer their phones or respond to texts. This is simply rude, especially when it's those same people who call/text and expect the person they're trying to reach to answer that call or text. If you're going to call/text me and expect an immediate response, be as kind on the other end and answer when I call/text. Even if it's to acknowledge that I sent the text (e.g. "OK", etc.), it goes a long way in making a person feel like they were heard.
Single HOV riders without an HOV pass. For the life of me, I don't understand this one, especially because it's blatantly disobeying the law. The reason there are a limited number of passes for the HOV lane is NOT because they have all been purchased. The state won't issue any more because the average rate of speed for a large percentage of the time must be 55 mph or higher in the HOV lane. It can't work when every Tom, Dick, and Jane are riding in that lane as a single person. It totally defeats the purpose of the HOV lane. And for those, like me, that are driving more expensive vehicles to maintain and have paid for a pass, it's really rude for other drivers to hinder us when we're already paying more money to have that "luxury" in our commute.
That's it - for now. Surely, these pet peeves are nothing out of the ordinary. Most of the time, I try to let things go, but occasionally they irritate me to the point of saying something. I guess now I can look at this post instead of verbalizing it out loud, huh? Or not. Because sometimes saying it makes you feel better. Plus, it helps others realize they aren't the only existing human beings on the planet, which is quite a feat in and of itself.
Monday, June 8, 2015
Lots of Thoughts
I've had lots of thoughts over the last week and a half that I want to share, but they've all been kind of close to the heart, so I've avoided writing about them. It's difficult to write about personal things, especially because not everyone agrees with you, and weird people tend to come out of the woodwork when you write something personal or opinionated.
Since everything is still kind of tender, I'm not going to write about it now. Instead, I'll put it in my "to do" stack and hopefully get to it at some point after the dust has settled and feelings aren't quite as fresh. It's easier to write about things that make me mad (e.g. the crazy lady who talked down to her husband) or frustrated or angry than it is to write about things for which I feel very deeply.
Just know that I've had lots of thoughts lately. Maybe one day I'll share. Or not. When/if I do, I'm sure you'll be able to figure out by the topic and content which things were close to the heart.
In the meantime, here's a funny video clip from an LDS comedian (Ryan Hamilton) on Conan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8OTlsfCDt8
The guy cracks me up. You can read his bio here:
http://www.ryanhamiltonlive.com/bio/
It's SO nice to hear some good humor without foul language, innuendo, or anything else that you'd have to plug your ears over. Vulgar is not funny. This guy? He's funny. And relate-able! Bonus there. He'll be at WiseGuys Comedy in West Valley City November 19-21. If you want a family fun (and funny!) activity this would be a good one!
And now, back to regularly scheduled programming. (Whatever THAT is.)
Since everything is still kind of tender, I'm not going to write about it now. Instead, I'll put it in my "to do" stack and hopefully get to it at some point after the dust has settled and feelings aren't quite as fresh. It's easier to write about things that make me mad (e.g. the crazy lady who talked down to her husband) or frustrated or angry than it is to write about things for which I feel very deeply.
Just know that I've had lots of thoughts lately. Maybe one day I'll share. Or not. When/if I do, I'm sure you'll be able to figure out by the topic and content which things were close to the heart.
In the meantime, here's a funny video clip from an LDS comedian (Ryan Hamilton) on Conan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8OTlsfCDt8
The guy cracks me up. You can read his bio here:
http://www.ryanhamiltonlive.com/bio/
It's SO nice to hear some good humor without foul language, innuendo, or anything else that you'd have to plug your ears over. Vulgar is not funny. This guy? He's funny. And relate-able! Bonus there. He'll be at WiseGuys Comedy in West Valley City November 19-21. If you want a family fun (and funny!) activity this would be a good one!
And now, back to regularly scheduled programming. (Whatever THAT is.)
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