Thursday Thirteen

I've never done a Thursday Thirteen before, but I had seen a few other people doing them so I thought I would join in. I wasn't really sure if there is a set of rules for what you're supposed to post, so I'll just make something up...without further ado...

Thirteen random things that annoy me, disgust me, or I simply just dislike...

1. When people misuse your/you're or there/their/they're - I know there are people out there who just aren't good at grammar, but your first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth grade (and beyond) teachers ALL taught you the rules for knowing when to use which...really, they're not that hard to remember and it just doesn't make you look very smart when you use the wrong one.

2. Roast beef sandwiches - I am not a picky eater and if you know me, you know that I'll eat just about anything. But cold roast beef sandwiches make me want to vomit. Ew. Even the smell of them. Double ew.

3. Winters in Pennsylvania - enough with the cold already! Bring on the warmth!

4. Substitute teaching - so glad I don't have to do that for the rest of the year!

5. Driving - I hate driving. Really, really hate it. I once had a panic attack while driving actually. It was so scary. My hubby drives me everywhere around here except to the grocery store, work and the doctor's office (although he drives me there when he can, too). Living near all these aggressive Philly drivers doesn't really help calm my fears either...

6. Bad parents - when you want so badly to even have a chance at parenting and sometimes believe that it actually may never happen, it really saddens you when you see so many parents just not doing their job. I just want to adopt those poor kids, almost (see item #9).

7. When people use double-negatives. I know I'm coming across as a real grammar-police here, but if you tell me, "You don't know nothing," I'll just smirk at you, because you're SO right!

8. Lost - someone out there is going to crucify me for writing that (don't be hatin'), but I can't even stand to be in the same room when that show is on. I watched it for the first season, but I quickly realized that all those questions that you were wondering about from the first season are STILL unanswered & I can't take that...I want some answers, darn it! I'm actually not a fan of ANY shows that you feel obligated to watch every week for fear of not understanding subsequent shows. Sitcoms are more my style.

9. The phrase, "you can always adopt." - Thanks for reminding me that there are other options out there that I hadn't already thought of in my nearly-3 years of infertile agony. I realize that people say this with the best of intentions, but if adoption is such an appealing life choice, then why don't you do it for yourself? It isn't the sole responsibility of the infertile community to adopt all of the needy children in this world! I'm not saying that we never will adopt, because I think it is a wonderful thing to do (and we always talked about adopting in addition to having biological children), but this innate desire to bear and birth a child isn't going to go away through adoption & that's such a huge part of the heartache that accompanies this infertility journey...so please, don't minimize my longings and desires by thinking you're being helpful.

10. The little niblet of dried-up lotion that comes out the top of the pump. The texture of it grosses me out (I swear I'm not really this neurotic most of the time).

11. Answering the phone in someone else's house - unless I know that they're expecting an important call or they specifically ask me to answer it (because they're doing something else), I kind of prance around uncomfortably because I never know if it is socially acceptable to answer it or to just let it ring and go to voice mail. This even happens at work - unless I'm specifically asked to answer the phone, I continue to let it ring because there's about 5 phones in the place and I never know if someone else will pick it up.

12. Cilantro - it tastes like soap and I hate how cilantro-lovers make me feel un-civilized because my taste buds don't like the taste of soap. I'll eat just about anything else...leave me and my cilantro-hating tongue alone! ;)

13. And my biggest pet peeve of all is when people are at the busy gas station and they've finished filling up their car. Instead of getting into their car and pulling forward to let someone else have their spot, they quite rudely decide to leave their car parked while they go inside to do whatever it is they need to do. That really makes me so mad. I once talked about this with someone and they rebutted by saying that in some places, it is illegal to get back in your car if you haven't paid, but then I reminded them that most, if not all, gas pumps in our state are either credit-card or pre-pay only, which means that they have no excuse.

Thanks for reading about 13 things that really get my goat. What annoys you?