#29 - People Who Do Not Pay Attention

We live in a fast paced, frenzied world, where we are inundated with information from electronic devices on a continual pace throughout the day ( and throughout the night), so it really should come as no surprise that we do not read all that comes through our computers, laptops, ipads, & smart phones. And I myself, have been guilty of opening an email, perusing it quickly, saving it, with the intention of going back to it a bit later when I would have the time to answer it. HA! That would require me remembering I had even saved the said email or that I had actually received one to begin with!  So, I do have understanding when it comes to missing an occasional email.  Notice the operative word in that sentence - OCCASIONAL.  When 3-4 emails are sent over the course of 4 weeks, with reminders of upcoming retreat and training dates, and with information on fall classes, requiring the teachers to verify their information is correct (email address, phone #s and most importantly, the session day & time they signed up to teach, I would kind of hope they would actually READ & RESPOND TO THE EMAIL).  But no, no, that's apparently not the process for some.  Here is what I am guessing the process is: email from the DRE; open and look at the subject line; jeez, how many emails is she gonna send us in just a few weeks; I already told her in one email sometime over the summer that I was too busy to teach this coming year; didn't she get my email; I could send her another email telling her to take my name off the catechist list but I just don't have the 75 seconds that would take; oh well, she'll find another teacher.  And then there's another type who assumes that everything that I do is perfect and there is never a mistake, so there was no reason to check on any of the info.  Mind you, if this just impacted me, it wouldn't be making my list of pet peeves.  This impacts about 28 kids and their families, in addition to making more work for me, and at this time of year, I don't need any more work.  Perhaps, God is teaching me a lesson in compassion, understanding & patience. You could just send me an email, Lord!

                                                          

#28 - Tailgaters

No, I do not mean the kind that we are when we are down in C'ville for UVA football games.  That tailgating is fun!!! Good food & drink, playing games like bean bag toss (or as people in the south & WV say - corn hole - which is a whole different thing to someone from NY!), watching other college football games via satellite (yes, tailgating has definitely moved to a different level nowadays!) & just having a fun time with family & friends.  I am talking about the tailgaters that ride your ass when you are driving down the road.  I understand if I am driving in the left lane and only moving at 4 miles above the speed limit (you will recall an earlier posting about left lane drivers) and stay in that lane, that anyone looking to pass has the right to ride my tail until I get back over in the right lane.  What annoys me is when I move over to the left lane to pass someone moving slower, and I am booking at about 10-15 mph above the speed limit, and some jackass speeds up and decides to ride within 6" of my bumper!!! If I even so much as tapped my brakes, the jackass would have no front left on his/her car and I would go from an SUV to a Smart car in a matter of seconds!

                                                          

#27 - BS Merchants

Being of Irish descent, I am filled with a bit of the blarney and can weave (and embellish) quite a story at times. That does not equate to "I-am-full-of-shit-and-think-you-are-stupid-and-you-will-not-realize-what-I-am-telling-you-is-bs".  And perhaps, because I am a storyteller, I enjoy listening to a good story and recognize quite quickly when someone is fos. When this happens, I go into closed blinds mode and do not hear what the person is saying anymore, nor does that person have much credibility with me anymore.  My father used to call people like this, BS Merchants. My Irish father was quite creative, descriptive and colorful in describing people & places & actions, i.e. go pound salt in your ass. I never quite understood the image of pounding salt - isn't it already in a pulverized state? or my all time fav that I still use today - never shit a shitter.  In any event, I do not have the time to listen to real bs (out and out lies), nor have I ever liked bs merchants and what they are selling, so if you happen to be one, try selling (or telling) your story elsewhere! 

                                                              

#26 - I Want What I Want When I Want It

I've already touched upon the last minute louies in life on this blog, but add to that one more thing - demanding attitude - and now you really have a headache about to happen.  Here's the scenario: you are a parent who for whatever reason has not had your child in religious education for many years (divorced and think you are no longer able to be part of the catholic church; you never seemed to find a church or a priest you liked; you are remarried & in an invalid marriage in the eyes of the church; a priest pissed you off 50 years ago & you can't let go of the anger & you never seemed to find a priest you liked; you have moved a lot & never seemed to find a church you liked; you have other priorities, like soccer and swimming and sleeping; time has just gotten away from you and you never seemed to find a church you liked!). Whatever the reason, it matters not.  What does matter is that you took the first step and called. However, that does not give you the right to call in the morning, then call back in the afternoon when you do not hear from someone, and then call back the next day and leave an indignant sounding message like, "I called yesterday about my son who hasn't been in RE for a while (translation: 8 years) and have not heard back from you yet, and I am getting very anxious about his getting into class."  Well, in my humble opinion, if you have waited 8 years, you can wait a few days while I plod through my other 18 similar-storied calls.  So, please, just be patient..... God is!!!!

                                                                   

#25 - Cop Wannabe Syndrome

There is a personality type out there whose ego becomes over-inflated with self-importance over what most people might consider menial, everyday things. The mall security cop who rides around on his people-mover ever so erectly watching over the forces of good and evil, as they battle each other in the food court.  The office manager who believes his office is his kingdom and he is the king and the workers are his serfs and what he says is to be accepted without a question, and without him, the place would fall apart and cease to exist.  And then there are the school security guards and the parks and recreation security cops, who lie in wait for the unsuspecting citizen, who comes to the school or park for the express purpose of a workout for himself and his dog - he speed walking around the track or on the trails, his dog running at full throttle across soccer fields and into the woods.  If there are other good citizens with their canines on the fields or trails, a dog should be kept on a leash.  However, when there is absolutely no one within a 10 mile radius, come on!  How the heck can a dog reach its full speed potential if hampered by a 50 something guy on the other end of a leash???!!! And then to be involved in a high speed chase around the track with the cop wannabe is criminal!  And the coup de grace is when the Robo Cop Wannabe asks you if you have a problem because you didn't heed his warning the first time about putting your dog on the leash, and you reply that there is absolutely NO ONE around, and he answers - IT'S THE LAW, MISTER! Well damn, if I would have known that Mr Dirty Harry Wannabe, I would most certainly have put my dog on her leash!

                                                              

                                           

#24 - People Who Do Not Clean Up After Themselves

My German heritage dictates that I am a bit OCD about cleanliness.  Yes, I am one of those people who cleans the windows on the house at least 4 times a year and changes the curtains for fall/winter and spring/summer, along with bedding.  I have a cleaning person who somes every other Thursday and I actually clean on her off Thursdays, which Diane the cleaning person finds humorous, as she says my house is not messy (well, duh, it would be if I didn't clean!).  I wipe out my refrigerator shelves every other day, as the ring marks from bottles bothers me.  So, it will come as no surprise to those of you reading this, that my workplace kitchen drives me crazy.  We have this beautiful state of the art kitchen (was added in the finishing off of the church basement a year ago) that is huge - 4 sinks, 3 dishwashers, 2 microwaves, 2 ovens, an 8 burner gas stove, cabinets galore & a vast amount of stainless steel counters (stationery & rolling) for prep work. Rachel Ray would be drooling! But  how do most people treat this wonderful HGTV specimen of a kitchen - like a dump!  Here are a few scenarios:

1. Let's make a cup of coffee and spill sugar and creamer on the stainless steel counter (that you can obviously see the white crystals & powder on), but walk away and not wipe it up, because after all I have my cup of coffee/tea in my hand & my other hand must be broken.

2. Now I have finished that coffee/tea and will leave it in the sink for 6 hours because the Holy Spirit may come and wash it out for me.

3. I need to eat my breakfast at work because, after all, 9am is soooo early to be getting to work, and I am hungry, so I will cook some toast and oatmeal, and leave the crumbs all over the counter, because once again, my hand is otherwise occupied carrying my toast back to my desk, where I will eat it and deposit even more crumbs, which may or may not get wiped up. Although when I spill my tea/coffee all over my desk that will wash away the crumbs.

4. Let me cook my lunch in the microwave, 3 hours after I ate my breakfast, and if it explodes that's OK, because the microwave is mounted in the wall above my head and I am not eye level with it, therefore I cannot see the splattered mess all over that needs to be cleaned up (well, I can see the top but I can't reach it anyway).

5. I'm a little full and can't finish my entire lunch (hey, I just ate breakfast) so now I will store the leftovers (approximately 4 oz) in the fridge for the next 3 weeks because I will forget it is in there or I really don't care to eat leftovers, but the Holy Spirit may clean the fridge, so I do not need to worry about it.

I cannot imagine what these people's house look like!!!! The only other possibility is that they are just so exhausted from cleaning their own house that they cannot do it at work.  I don't think so, Tim!

                                                                   

#23 - The Phenomena of Bills

Why is it that bills never seem to get lost in the mail nor are they ever late, and as a matter of fact, they seem to arrive at the house via snail mail, mind you, before you even get home from the doctor's office!!!???  I go to my gyn doc faithfully every year, and 90% of the time, I have to call them 2-3 weeks later for the results of a pap test.  It would seem to me that you would have some type of method for sending out test results from a doctor's office, so that those results would get to the person instead of the garbage can. I realize the business of the doctor's office and that my normal test results are not a priority, but it makes me wonder if it also happens to the abnormal test results, as in the time when my husband's cholesterol trigyceride level of 311 was not sent out and a few months later he ends up in emergency cardiac surgery (angioplasty & stent) for 2 blocked arteries!  I guess the real phenomena here is not the fact that they misplace test results, but thay they NEVER do the same with your bill!!!!!There must be a special staff assigned to the billing dept and Special Ed staff assigned to the test results department!