Lest anyone assume I woke-up this morning wearing my Grouchy Pants or have overindulged on a breakfast of Cranky Flakes, allow me to clarify that I am actually quite jolly and chipper as is most often the case in the AM hours–before the real world comes along to slap me in the face and wring-the-merry from my smiley face.
Nevertheless, there are those things that gnaw and grate. Drive-by moments that come along to poke and irritate, despite all good intentions. That rub against the conscience–sometimes in the background, other times in the forefront–but always there somewhere, ready to jump and churn at the first not so gentle nudge.
It started this morning with a Styrofoam coffee cup on my neighbors lawn. I spied it from my kitchen window. A startling, heinously deposited object of stark, non-bio degradable ugliness discarded on Mr. R’s hard-earned and carefully tended square of sod heaven. The sight of which launched me directly into Peeve #1:
Littering boobs who seem to think trash cans were designed as unnecessary ornamentation. Honestly, but I despise litter in all of its hideous forms. No excuses or attempts at rationalization accepted. It’s disgusting.
It is in fact the aforementioned despicable crime that leads me directly into this companion peeve to #1, which is Peeve #2:
Pet owners who walk their dogs (purposely steered their pooches beyond the bounds of their own neighborhood) with the deliberate intent of “Poop and Run.” No doubt you’ve seen them, bag-less dog walkers who pick-up speed should they spy a previously unobserved witness to their dastardly deeds.
Of course thoughts of pooping naturally lead me to considerations of eating, thus Peeve #3:
Foods with healthy sounding names that are anything but healthy. For example Nutri-Grain, or the uber appealing Nature Valley. A wise choice for those in pursuit of good health? ACK!!!! NO! NO! Lies, all lies! Both contain Fructose (HIGH Fructose in some cases.) Fructose, as many of you know, is the REIGNING DEVIL of bad horrifying ingredients. To quote Dr. Mercola of #1 Natural Health Website, “Fructose is the NUMBER ONE source of calories in the US. An ingredient that is found in virtually all processed foods cannot be considered “moderate.” Even most infant formulas contain the sugar equivalent of one can of Coca-Cola, which helps explain how six-month old babies can be obese.” I realize that not everyone cares to be known as the Food Nazi, as my own wiseacre family has titled moi, but Jeezaloo, how about food manufactures ease-up on the blatant trickery toward consumers who really do care to improve their diets and chose wisely. If it says NATURE or NUTRI on the label it should be a rule that, yeah, it really is. (BTW, a good rule to keep in mind when scanning the ingredient panel–beware the “toses,” they’re all stinkers. Aka, Fructose, Maltose, Sucrotose, etc.)
Needless to say, such talk of devious deception leads me straight into Peeve#4:
People who lecture against talking Religion and Politics and then do so themselves. You know the type. They make a grandiose point of their peacekeeping rule of excluding those potentially one thousand percent quarenteed heat producing topics from all social conversation, but then proceed to poke sharpened and poisonous barbs into aforementioned gentle and purposely civil conversation. I think it’s safe to say that the majority of us have very strong opinions of Religion & Politics, thus there are generally no allowances for slip-in, snide references, or drop and run deliveries (see Peeve #2) of said topics.
Okay,okay, simmer down, I hear ya. Enough of the cyber whining– I get it. Still, I know you have plenty of peeves yourself. I can hear them knocking around in your head, so here’s your chance to pass them along (and maybe even get a soothing touch of sympathy). Large, small, or passionately festering, the floor is now open. Let er rip 😀
Barbara Forte Abate 