MY PET PEEVES

I got up really early this morning to finish off a couple of things that my OCD was hassling me about when I went to bed last night, then decided 5:30 a.m. was just WAY too early to stay up & try to go back to bed. Well, the sun was just trying to start to shine and I REALLY wanted to go back to sleep, so I tried putting my head under the covers. I couldn't breathe so I pushed down the top cover & just left the sheet over my head. Didn't work...sheet's egg shell color. Dang! Squished it around my eyes (so I could still breathe). Dang...still could see light. Crap...had to get up, go around my bed to the other side, locate the eye cover that they gave us on my flight to London to help us sleep, got back in bed, eyes covered and...Dang again! A teeny, tiny, miniscule bit of light is creeping through underneath. Covered back up with the sheet. STILL too light. Ok, now I'm thinking, even though I'm REALLY tired, let's evaluate this situation. Ok, I didn't really think that, but what the heck! I realize what's happening is that my mind's racing (1,000,000 thoughts going all at the same time). That happens a lot with me because I'm freaking bi-polar. I hate it! My therapist laughs sometimes because my mind races so much somtimes that I switch topics about 50 times in one session & I'm amazed she can keep up. Anyway, because my mind is racing & I lay there for freaking ever with no positive results, I've decided to post about some things that really bug me.

1. When we're all on the freeway at once during so called "rush hour," people who have more than one person in the car, GET IN THE CARPOOL LANE would you PLEASE!!! Or better yet, if you're old, with purple or grey hair (like MANY of our residents in the winter) DON'T EVEN THINK OF DRIVING DURING RUSH HOUR! Rush hour is for people who have to get to work, or the doctor's office, or some place important--not something stupid like breakfast where they sit for 2-3 hours shooting/cutting the breeze if you get my drift.

2. On the same topic...if you're old like many of our residents in the winter (AGAIN) would you PLEASE turn right from the right-hand lane, use your blinker, AND if you're driving slower than the speed limit (or for that matter, slower than me), GET OVER & don't swerve into another person's lane!!!

The above 2 items are my BIGGEST pet peeves. Not only do I live in a state with LOTS AND LOTS of Winter visitors ("Snowbirds), I live in East Mesa where many have decided to perch all year long, AND I stupidly moved into a freaking RETIREMENT COMMUNITY. Again, CRAP--Snowbird season is just now starting! I've already seen some flocking here. Oh, yay, here we go again! (You're probably asking yourself, "So why did she move there if she knew this would happen?" I didn't want to, I had no choice!!) Ok, now I'm getting upset. I'll never get to go back to sleep! Crap!

So, on we go. Might as well just totally ruin my morning:

3. People who call me when I'm trying to take a nap in the afternoon. Especially irritating if I have a migraine & am trying to sleep it off. Do they know I'm taking a nap? No. Does that make it any better? No. I'm still grumpy. Then if I try to go back to sleep, my eyes see the light & I have the same trouble getting back to sleep as I did this morning. AND, beware if you're a sales person who shouldn't even be calling me because all of my phone numbers are on the "Do Not Call" list. I really am a nice person till one of them calls me--watch out! I DO report their call. Just mean that way, I guess.

5. People who write "a lot" as one word (alot). When I read that, especially in a newspaper or other publication, I cringe. My whole family now knows how to write it because I DRIVE THEM CRAZY about this. Sorry family!! I know I'm nuts & so do you--LOL!

6. News people who don't take the time to figure out how to pronounce street names or city names in their reporting area. When I lived in Utah, this one news lady used to pronounce Tooele "Toolie." The town (probably city now) is pronounced "too-ill-a." The other one that bugs me is the next road over from where I live...Crismon. Can you see the "s" in front of the "m" sitting there in plain view? So pronounce it like that!! Don't say "Crimson." The street is not a freaking color! One reporter now says it correctly after I e-mailed their station with the "suggestion" to pronounce it the right way. HOWEVER, one reporter who's been here longer than I have, STILL says it wrong. I know I have to give up & let it go, but OCD remember?

I REALLY am a nice person, people. I just have some OCD going on. Really...I'm working on it.

7. Men who open the door in front of me & let it slam in my face (ok, so it slowly closes at the mall, but still...). It really bugs me when a teenage boy does it 'cuz I know their momma didn't raise 'em right. My son knows better, don't you Tyler? (He does, doesn't he Shannon? Don't make a liar out of me.)

8. When people don't return a book to the library by the due date. Don't they KNOW I'm patiently (ok, not so patiently) waiting? I only have about 200 books in boxes that I could read while I'm waiting, but I want THAT one, NOW!

Ok, I'm stopping here, even though I have more, because I realize I have EIGHT things and if I keep going, you're really going to think I'm a "Grumpy" Grandma instead of a "Goofy" Grandma. Sorry folks.

**By the way, I know you're wondering, "When is she going to post Part 2 of the trip to Ukraine?" I should have posted that today since we left exactly 1 year ago today, but seriously, I had to write this one down so I could get it off my back. Give me a couple of days, ok? I promise it will be good. Ok, it'll be good for me, not so sure about you.