Pet Peeves

Things I Dislike Intensely (since my mother has told me it's not nice to hate):

My POS work computer – which I've had to reboot three times in the past 15 minutes, because it just simply sucks! There are days when it'll lock up something like 8 times. It's enough to make me want to chuck it out the window!!! I got it on September 11, 2001, so that should have been an omen on how badly it would suck.

People who drive 35 mph in a 40 mph, especially on a road everybody knows you can go 45 mph w/o the cops hassling you, in theory. Oh yeah, this is a two-lane road (one in each direction) and there's usually too much traffic ever to attempt a pass on the slow-poke.

The book I'm reading right now, Confessions of a Shopaholic. I have serious issues with books, movies or shows where I know the person is about to do something incredibly stupid, or worse, embarrassing. Even as a child I was never able to watch I Love Lucy because I knew she was going to get in trouble. I know people loved Bridget Jones' Diary, but I absolutely hated the movie. I never read the book and now that I've seen the movie I know I won't read the book.

The Dave Matthews Band and Sheryl Crow – I lump them together because I think their music/songs might be okay if somebody else would sing them. Neither of them can sing a freaking note. And it absolutely kills me that Sheryl Crow wins Grammys over women who can actually sing and have some talent. The first year she was nominated and won every other Grammy was the last year I watched. And Don Henley is on my list since he apparently encouraged her to go out on her own. Thanks, Don, for that and for that godawful song, "Dirty Laundry." The girl who lived upstairs from me back in 1990 played that song non-stop one Saturday. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Once is bad enough, but literally 4 hours straight??? I don't like any song that much!!!

Selfish people – and No, if you preface being selfish with the statement, "I know I'm being selfish, but that's the way I want." doesn't make it okay to be selfish. In fact, I think it's worst to know you're being selfish and still do whatever selfish thing it is.

Republicans – Why is that Republicans who know you're a Democrat will send you every Democrat-bashing story, e-mail, joke, etc., along with every single "This is why Republicans are so much better than Democrats" story, e-mail, joke, etc., but Democrats rarely, unless provoked, do the same? We'll send the Republican/conservative bashing whatever to fellow Democrats, and laugh about it, but we won't send it to a Republican. See, proof that Democrats are nicer than Republicans. ;-) My one aunt is a rabid Republican (she actually had to walk out of the house one Christmas because I refused to take her side and it made her incredibly angry) and she sends me every Clinton bashing (Bill and Hillary), Kerry bashing, George W. Bush is the greatest thing since whitebread e-mail that has made the rounds and it drives me freaking insane. Does she think I'm going to change my mind??? Or does she just want to piss me off?

Engineers – I work with them and although there are some good ones, there are some that just don't have a freaking clue what they are doing and I want to bang their heads together! I'm particularly anti-engineer when it comes to dating. I have banned them from my Men who are Dateable List forever. At least that's my idea, but every few years I go back on my decision because I think "Oh, this one is different." They never are, so I'm trying doubly hard to follow this basic Kathleen Dating Tenet. NO ENGINEERS!!!!

People who drive in the left lane on the freeway doing the speed limit, self-righteously proud of themselves for making others obey the speed limit. Or those who jump out to pass the semi because they're going 3 whopping mph faster than the semi and then just sit there. ARGH! Pass the damn thing already!!! If you're going to pass, then pass. Press the accelerator, get up to ten over or whatever it takes to pass the semi quickly and then get back in the right lane and slow to your normal slow-ass speed. Just get the fuck out of my way!!!! If I see someone coming up behind me at the speed of light, I get the hell out of their way. Ah, but there's the difference, I actually use my mirrors!

The idea of no hockey this year – Please, NHLPA and NHL Owners, please get your acts together! My racing is going to be over in November and then what am I going to do? Sure, I have Netflix and I'll get lots of movie watching done, but I LOVE hockey and will be so bummed if I'm stuck with tapes of old hockey games. The good thing is that I know the Wings will win every night since I only save (generally) games that they win. But I don't want to watch tapes of old games. I want to watch live hockey and as much as I'm opposed to a shorter season, I'll be willing to go from 82 games to 70 games. No fewer though!!!! Not that the owners or players are asking me, but they should! And the periphery to no hockey is NO HOCKEY POOL! And that's a sad thing, indeed.

Driving in Chicago – I wish there were some way to get to Wisconsin from Detroit w/o having to go through Chicago. Yes, I know about the ferry but have you ever looked in to the cost? It's ridiculous. One person, one car, two ways? $200!!!! I can fly to Milwaukee for that price!!!! So, your choices are spend more money or sit in traffic going nowhere and wonder if people in Chicago ever work since the highways are constantly in a state of traffic jam. Ditto for Atlanta which I had to drive through last year on my way to the ALMS race at Road Atlanta. Dear God, what a nightmare. And I'm not even going to discuss parking in Chicago. It's more expensive than parking in Toronto!!!!

Tomorrow: Things I Love or whatever comes to mind…