Top 6: Driving Pet Peeves

I will not boast that I am the best driver. Although some (ahem… my boyfriend) do. Sometimes I California Stop… I don’t always yield to pedestrians… and I am a chronic speeder… BUT… here are my TOP 6 Driving Pet Peeves:

          1) If you make a turn, must you turn in the opposite direction first?

The occurrence of this seems to be declining, but why do people have to swing out to the left before they make a right hand turn????

2) Tailgating

No excuse. No reason. Period. Get off my ass. You're making me want to slow down. I feel safe in assuming that’s the opposite of what you’re wanting. You can cause an accident that will involve you, me and probably too many innocent bystanders.

3) Working lights and knowing how to use them

3a: Headlights. There’s a rule about this, I know. There’s something about dusk and dawn? Don’t know, but use common sense. While driving a few days ago I saw a SUV without their lights on – it’s 6:30 PM in November… it’s dark as hell.
3b: Hi-beams. They are really effective when used correctly. THEY ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR ACTUAL WORKING HEADLIGHTS. I'm talking about those vehicles that you just know their headlights don't work, so the brights have to be used instead. Just fix the headlights!
4c: Brake lights. What, are you nuts? Do you really want to go out in traffic and get yourself killed???
5d: Turn signals. Oh, geez… where do I start...
5d1: Turn them on.
This is the easiest and safest thing you can do behind the wheel, right after putting your damn seatbelt on. Are you kidding me? When someone doesn’t use their lights, it makes me want to go up to their car, reach in the window, yank off the entire turn signal stalk from the steering column and yell, "It's obvious you don't need this since you don't use it!!" If I see someone who wants in my lane, at least I know what they’re doing and I'll let them in. Oh, and here's a courtesy thing: If you're in a crowded parking lot, cruising the aisles looking for a parking space, and you stop and block the aisle because you see someone getting in a car to leave, use your turn signal to let the people know behind you what you're up to. Otherwise, you're just in the middle of the aisle and no one can get around you. People may get less excited if they knew you actually found a potential spot and you're waiting for it.
5d2: Turn them off.
Yes, we all know about the Senior Citizens that seem to go for miles with their turn signals on. I've got news for you - they're not the only ones. There's nothing worse than being on a highway with a guy with a turn signal on. Can you pass him? How do you know that he's intending to make a lane change? YOU DON'T KNOW. Approach with caution because whether he knows it or not, he's causing problems. At least he used his signal at least once, so you can't fault him for that.
5e: Hazards. When you are going 35 mph on a highway the least you can do is turn on your hazard lights to let us know that you know you're doing 35 instead of being oblivious to those around you doing the speed limit or, heaven forbid, those people doing well over it.

        4) Coming to a complete STOP before turning

Seriously? Why do people do this? It’s very easy to make a smooth transition when making a turn. Unless it’s icy, there’s no need to come to a complete stop.

        5) The jerk mergers

You know who you are. The people that see the MERGE sign and wait until the last minute to try and squeeze their way in. I don’t think so, Mr.  Yes, I am that person who won’t let you in. I learned that rule in kindergarten: NO CUTS!

         6) Best for last…. Texting and cell phone use in general

This is not only a safety issue, but a legal issue**. There are ways to safely use your device, but some choose otherwise. BLARG! I get so irritated when the light turns green and I can tell that the person in front of me is too busy texting to notice!! Facebook, Twitter... your mom... can wait. Just don’t do it!

**A few months ago I was pulled over because the officer thought I was talking on my phone. I told him that his accusations were impossible. He didn’t believe me until I showed him my phone…securely stored in the trunk of my car. No joke.  

Please, let's all practice safe and considerate driving.

Cute message... Though I hate the grammar error...

Stood Up

I am writing this post from a coffee shop in Seattle. It's a bit past 3 on this sunny Friday afternoon, and I have been stood up twice. TWICE. Two clients have neglected to attend our scheduled meeting.I have an hour until my next client, and my fingers are crossed that he will show. It couldn't happen 3 times, could it? As I am enjoying my impromptu ceprese sandwich and an iced-vanilla latte', I can't help but be pissed off. At a risk of sounding completley narcissistic, this is my learning that's being screwed up. I have expectations for this internship. Don't they understand I am trying to help them? Then...the social worky side makes its way through. There's a reason why they need my help, and assessing motivation and more complexed barriers is why I'm here. The trick is getting them to attend their appointments... Yikes. Happy Friday, folks. *Updated: I DID get stood up by the third client. 3/3 no shows...

As a Vegetarian

    

To all my friends and loved ones… please take note.

My Pet Peeves

1) When people attempt to give me crap or make fun of me for being vegetarian.

2) People who think it’s a phase.

3) People that can't imagine a diet that doesn't include cow, pig and chicken as staples. "So, what do you eat?" or "You must be sick of vegetables." 

4) The "how do you get your (protein, calcium, iron)" people.

5) People who think I judge them for eating meat, or say, "Oh, sorry...you must think I'm disgusting." I wasn't judging until you said that.  

6) People who think I must be lying and cheating because I "look too healthy" to be vegetarian.

7) People who think they're clever and provocative for saying things like "plants are alive too", "but there is leather trim in your car so you aren't really vegetarian."

8)The "Oh, this steak is TAASTTY!  Don't you want to try it?" and "I could never give up my hotdogs and hamburgers!" people.

9) The people who ask me if I eat fish as a vegetarian. It's an animal, isn't it?

10) The people who worry about me at a restaurant. "Is there anything you can eat here?” “Oh look, they have salad, or there’s a veggie sandwich..." Thanks for the concern, but I’ve ordered from a menu before.

    

So knock it off…. meat eaters. 

Top 6: Products & Packaging that Piss Me Off

Sure, convenience is great, but what about the environmental impacts? 


Here are a few packaging/products that piss me off, and their more environmentally friendly alternatives: 


1) Kleenex Hand Towels - their selling point is over-exaggerating the amount of germs that can collect in the classic hand towel. Seriously, just wash your towels more; don't kill trees. 

2) Individually wrapped…carrots, apple slices…ANYTHING! It doesn't take long to cut up your own produce and conveniently place it into your perfecting portion sized containers. 


3) Yogurt with granola- Buy in bulk! See #3

4) Styrofoam. It's 2012, shouldn't this stuff be banned? Try to buy products that don't use styrofoam in their packaging. Biodegradable egg cartons, bring your own coffee cup, and give praise to restaurants that use reusable plastic containers. 


5)Unnecessary brand packaging. I'm talking about the lovely tissue paper that Sephora and Victoria's Secret uses to wrap our purchases. Though it's pretty and makes you feel special (just me?) it's a complete waste. Solution: tell them you don't want it. OR, if you like the paper… reuse it. 

6) Bottled water- this pretty much goes without saying. BYOWB. Bring your own water bottle, folks! 

Key considerations: 

Buy in bulk

Invest in great plastic containers (I like Rubbermaid) 

Say "No" to bad packaging

Think before you drink (in every context)

Cohabitation

For anyone who has experienced living with a roommate, I think we can all agree that living with someone can be fabulous, joyous and fun. However, I will not be talking about the rainbows and butterflies of living with someone. You know, the late night chats and the building of forts in the living room? No no, I want to talk about pet peeves, frustrations, disagreements and the compromises.

Let me start from the beginning….

My brother, Tony. He would leave the seat up (as many boys do).He would leave his towel on the floor, which wasn’t too bad of an issue until it started to smell. We could never agree on anything to watch: I wanted MTV and he wanted the Simpsons. I was filing my nails too close to him and he yelled at me and made me cry.

I moved to college and lived with a girl in what-felt-like a 10x10 foot room. I would leave to take a shower and would come back to a dark room… left to stumble around dripping wet, searching for my desk lamp. She would eat my food. She would invite people over to watch ridiculous television. I came in one morning to find a boy in my bed. I did not put him there. When I went to check-out at the end of the year, I found melted ice-cream smeared all over my desk. Her last word.

I got to choose my roommates after that. Two of my best friends and then a random person none of us had met. This new girl liked to make macaroni&cheese and leave the cheesy pot sit in the sink for days. Her boyfriend would stay over. Every.Single.Night. He was always there; we all felt we had a fifth roommate. They even took showers together. One night we smelled an illegal drug coming from her bedroom. This wouldn’t have been too big of an issue if we weren’t in campus housing. She was a mean girl.

Currently, my roommate just happens to be someone I am in love with. This comes with its many benefits, but of course its challenges. Luckily, he puts the seat down religiously. I want him to eat my food. I want him to always be there. We agree on the age-old question of Over vs. Under. He loads the dishes, I unload them. Luckily, we both love baseball and football, so watching games is never in question. But that doesn’t mean we haven’t had our adjustments and readjustments. When Noah cooks, he cleans as he goes. I feel like I am doing enough as it is (i.e., cooking) and will worry about the cleanup later. This is a little gross to admit, and only my mother will know why I do this, but: I don’t always flush the toilet. It’s an old habit from growing up with a chronic septic tank/ flooding issue. Noah's towel does gets a little smelly, and I do wish I got the remote a little more often.

Fortunately, I have learned two things from my roommate experiences, the good and the bad: 1) communicating about the frustrations, as well as the appreciations is oh so important. 2) Compromising is the only way to come to a sustainable solution. If I would have told my first college roommate what was bothering me, I might have walked through the dark in a towel alot less. She might have left a light on for me.

And just so you know... I'm remembering to flush the toilet.

I’ve shared my horrific roommate experiences…what are yours?

Did You Know: Random Grammar Tip

As it is one of my grammatical pet peeves, I thought I’d give a random grammar tip. This tip comes, in part, from Paul Brians' Common Errors in English Usage site, one of my favorites.

Abbreviations vs Acronyms vs Initialisms 

An abbreviation is any shortened form of a word or phrase. Two of the most common types of abbreviations are acronyms and initialisms.

Acronyms are words formed from the initial parts of a name.

Example: NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), SCUBA (self-contained, underwater, breathing apparatus), NOW (National Organization of Women).

Initialisms, however, are a group of initial letters used as an abbreviation for a name or expression, each letter being pronounced separately.

Example: APA (American Psychological Association), MLB (Major League Baseball), SSW (School of Social Work).

What's the basic rule? Acronyms form words; initialisms do not.

Due to consistent incorrect usage, in some circles acronyms and initialisms are considered synonymous - but now you know there's a difference!