[Queen of Chaos]

There's a saying that it's not the crosses we have to bear that get us down, it's the grain of sand in our shoe. Some of the most utterly absurd things happen to me and it'll take hours for me to get past feeling so irritated.

Yesterday I drove halfway across town to a Home Depot. Mind you it was 108 degrees (heat index 118 degrees). I went to look for a certain brand of plastic bags that only they carry. I got that!

Then I went to the nursery area and picked up a couple of plain 6" long iron hooks used to attach hanging baskets to limbs or something. The price on the display said "78 cents". They looked like 78 cents.

I waited my turn to checkout. There must have been 20 checkout registers, two were open, long lines at both. I patiently waited my turn.

My 78 cent plant hangers rang-up $44! $44! They both had little adhesive labels, both rang up $44. The cashier said she'd call somebody and get the right price, she didn't have the authority to charge anything other than the sticker price. She must have called Home Depot's corporate headquarters - naturally whoever she was trying to talk to didn't even understand what the hangers were.

There were at least 7-10 customers waiting to checkout behind me - the cashier decided she'd send another cashier-type person to look at the display. Off she went. Later, returning, she saw somebody she knew come in the front door so she hesitated to talk to them for a minute.

When she finally returned, she said the "78 cent" sign was for another plant hanger that was hanging in the wrong place - that she could not find a price posted for what I was trying to buy.

I said O.K.! This is ridiculous - no plant hanger on earth costs $44. I apologized to the irate people behind me and left, without the dang plastic bags...which I needed but was too mad to pay for!

I'm still mad!!

[beauflow]

some things geez... How ridiculous is that, Omg, go you for keeping calm and apologizing to the others waiting.
I get this way some times like when I clean the house and a day later its a messy one, I feel the steam come out of my ears lol

Hope you get your plastic bags soon!

Aww that would make me mad too!

Pop culture and reality shows, those are my pet peves at the moment. I hate seeing the tabloids near the checkout too.I really don't give a damn about so and so who I don't know anyhow.

[Queen of Chaos]

Another biggie with me is cellophane packaging - I break more fingernails trying to open packages of stuff I don't think even needs packaging.

I bought a package of bath soap. Each bar was wrapped in tissue paper in a separate box then the package of 4 bars was so tightly sealed in cellophane I had to find something sharp (a metal nail file) to break the seal.

Cellophane packaging either falls apart at the worst possible moment OR you can't get into it without something sharp. I've actually damaged things trying to get them out of their packaging! I realize makeup needs to be kept protected until purchased but who can open a new tube of lipstick without involving some kind of tool? I have a cut on my left thumb right now from opening a new bottle of shampoo.

What about packaging for stuff like potting soil? What, short of a pair of scissors, is a person supposed to use to open a 40 lb. bag of potting soil? Who's going to have a pair of scissors when they're working in the yard?

I also am water hose challenged! Why is it water hoses that promise never to kink always do? I'll pull and drag a heavy water hose 50-60 ft., hook it to a sprinkler, turn on the water and nothing happens - the hose is so twisted it takes 10 minutes to try to get it straight. Then, heaven forbid, you want to roll it up...I can't do it to save my life!

I'm in a miserable mood today - can anybody tell??? "Cabin fever" is not just a cold weather problem!

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by Queen of Chaos

Then, heaven forbid, you want to roll it up...I can't do it to save my life!

I don't know if everybody knows this. My dad showed me a trick of just slightly loosening the screw thing on the hose at the faucet mouth, just enough to break the suction, and that makes the water drain out of the hose at the far end. My mom gave me the weirdest look when I showed her this.

Do cabin doctors make house calls?

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Do cabin doctors make house calls?

For cabin fever? LOL

[greylove]

OH Queen!!!!!!! OMGoodness, have YOU been tested!!!!!!! And here you are sharing and smiling "" at the end!! Wow...........this is all sooooooooooo beyond acceptable stuff. I think you just put into words exactly what every one of us is thinking! You are amazing.........I don't know whether I want to laugh or grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! For what it's worth you do relate a good story. Stay strong, dear friend......I think there's a mutiny stirring. If you want me to,Queen, I'll lead the charge!!!!

[Queen of Chaos]

Originally Posted by hankster

I don't know if everybody knows this. My dad showed me a trick of just slightly loosening the screw thing on the hose at the faucet mouth, just enough to break the suction, and that makes the water drain out of the hose at the far end. My mom gave me the weirdest look when I showed her this.

I will try this tomorrow morning! I can see where it might make a huge difference.

I'll share a hint you may or may not know. I didn't realize until recently that most products like aluminum foil, waxed paper, etc., have little end-things you punch in and they'll keep the product from falling out of the box when you're trying to pull out a specific length.

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Do cabin doctors make house calls?

Dr. Frick does!!

[unaluna]

Originally Posted by queen of chaos

i'll share a hint you may or may not know. I didn't realize until recently that most products like aluminum foil, waxed paper, etc., have little end-things you punch in and they'll keep the product from falling out of the box when you're trying to pull out a specific length.

nnnoooooooo!!!!!
In case that wasn't clear, that was like Captain Kirk screaming Kahn!!!! or vice versa. I had no idea! I'm gonna go punch those suckers right now!

[Open Eyes]

(((((((Queen))))))) I can see why you added the Chaos to your name.

I think the heat has gotten to everyone. It seems like everyone is down, low, angry and struggling more than usual.

It was not really hot where I am today but I was so exhausted by dealing with liers and cheats this week I was exhausted today. And I can see it in my writing when I post.

Your experience with the plant hanger not being clearly marked and the trouble it took really reminded me of yesterday. And the day before and then the day before that.

First is was a check that I should have received three weeks ago by an agency that hired me to do a job and the post office was blamed and I knew the money was just being floated and I was being played. And that threw off my finances while it served someone elses. And I had to battle those two liers. And they were so stupid, they told me the mail was returned and they would have to remail it, I told them to enclose the envelope marked returned mail. Oh they didn't like that. Then they do send out the check as as usual I received it the next day (not over three weeks) and they had written on the check the date of the day before with a notation in the note spot reissued check, now, if a perfectly good check came back in an envelope marked returned mail, why not just use the same check with the original date? LOL, people are such bad liers. You see they forgot which lie they told me and they thought they were acting on the original lie and playing like they had to cancel the check and would need more time to track it and write a new one. "Are you calling me a liar?" she said. I never used the word, she did, another way to tell someone is lieing.

Then I went to visit my lawyer who has been not notifying me of depositions set up and then canceling them at the last minute. I am so exhausted with that and all I could do is sit there and listen how the case cannot go forward until all the opposing side discovery is done, which includes my depositions. So again I had to endure the fact that my finances again are going to continue to suffer because someone keeps forgetting sceduled depositions and not even informing me so I can remind him to remember them. All I could do is stare him in the eyes and tell him that I am now at a point where this is causing acute depression and he really needs to do his job. And I was really tempted to wear no make up so he could see that my eyelids are now dark purple from lack or any kind of restful sleep. But I did tell him to really look at my eyes and see if he can see how much makeup I have on them to cover it up. I just didn't know what else to say. I figured out that the discovery could have been done almost a year ago, but someone doesn't do his job. I came home so exhausted I vented here, I think,and went up to bed an passed out.

Then I got a bill yesterday from an ENT visit where I was told the exam would be $100 and I had to prepay for the visit and if there was any extra I would be billed. The doctor looked in my ears, up my nose and down my throat, what one would consider a normal ENT exam right?
I got a bill yesterday that multiplied that hundred dollars over 5 times. And I did vent that out yesterday here. So now I have to take care of that, I am not going to accept their misrepresentation of an exam.

And I did tell my husband that the market was going to plunge and to move our investments around, I told him a couple of weeks ago. I just knew this was coming, for me it was a no brainer ( I was raised around the stock market for years and managed my father's office, couldn't help but learn about it). Well he didn't listen and now he is angry and I have to deal with the avoidance anger we can't talk about it procedure and that is going to get worse too.

Oh I am pretty low today. So if any my posts miss words or spelling, just ignore it.

Can you tell what my pet peeve is? HONESTY AND TRUTH, I hate liers.

Open Eyes

[lynn P.]

Originally Posted by Queen of Chaos

Another biggie with me is cellophane packaging - I break more fingernails trying to open packages of stuff I don't think even needs packaging.

I bought a package of bath soap. Each bar was wrapped in tissue paper in a separate box then the package of 4 bars was so tightly sealed in cellophane I had to find something sharp (a metal nail file) to break the seal.

Cellophane packaging either falls apart at the worst possible moment OR you can't get into it without something sharp. I've actually damaged things trying to get them out of their packaging! I realize makeup needs to be kept protected until purchased but who can open a new tube of lipstick without involving some kind of tool? I have a cut on my left thumb right now from opening a new bottle of shampoo.

What about packaging for stuff like potting soil? What, short of a pair of scissors, is a person supposed to use to open a 40 lb. bag of potting soil? Who's going to have a pair of scissors when they're working in the yard?

I also am water hose challenged! Why is it water hoses that promise never to kink always do? I'll pull and drag a heavy water hose 50-60 ft., hook it to a sprinkler, turn on the water and nothing happens - the hose is so twisted it takes 10 minutes to try to get it straight. Then, heaven forbid, you want to roll it up...I can't do it to save my life!

I'm in a miserable mood today - can anybody tell??? "Cabin fever" is not just a cold weather problem!

Thanks for sharing your unfortunate shopping trip Queen of Chaos. I agree with you on the packaging of some products. The all time worst product to unwrap are the barbie dolls...I could probably break out of prison easier than getting these unwrapped. The doll is sewn (yes sewn) to the package then twist tied (just in case) and the hair is sewn in a woven fashion to the box. Try doing this on Xmas morning when you already have a 100 other things to do and would rather be sleeping. There should be a televised contest to see who can get the fricken barbie out the fastest lol.

I can also relate to the lipstick...bought one the other day with vacuumed plastic seal. I tried to find the dotted side that makes it easier but I couldn't find it. I got a knife and was still struggling and used the tip to get in there, but instead poked myself. You know why they do this...because women want to see the color and test it.

Aren't we all glad we have facial tissues now instead of those hankies. It used to bug me the way some would blow their nose and then put it back in their pockets.....then the women would have to wash them....ewwwww

[Elana05]

"This is ridiculous - no plant hanger on earth costs $44."

LOL - You are so right. This gave me a laugh.

Here is a driving Pet Peeve of mine:
The sign says "stop for people in the crosswalk." Here comes an old man and a dog slowly setting out to cross the street. So I stop for them. The person behind me honks and tries to GO AROUND me. AACK.
(Good idea. This driver might save a whole 33 seconds off of their trip!)

Sheesh

[Sabrina]

Originally Posted by Queen of Chaos

I'll share a hint you may or may not know. I didn't realize until recently that most products like aluminum foil, waxed paper, etc., have little end-things you punch in and they'll keep the product from falling out of the box when you're trying to pull out a specific length.

I saw this on the Ellen de Generes show. I immediately ran to the kitchen to look at mine but, well, yeah.... South Africans haven't cottened on yet. We just get plain old boxes.

[Queen of Chaos]

Originally Posted by hankster

nnnoooooooo!!!!!
In case that wasn't clear, that was like Captain Kirk screaming Kahn!!!! or vice versa. I had no idea! I'm gonna go punch those suckers right now!

Yep! I guess those little punch-in tabs have been there forever and I never noticed them...pretty embarrassing really - yet another one of my pet peeves is when I try to roll out a little SaranWrap and the whole roll falls on the floor!

Maybe we need a thread about little known household/gardening hints?

[Queen of Chaos]

Originally Posted by Sabrina

I saw this on the Ellen de Generes show. I immediately ran to the kitchen to look at mine but, well, yeah.... South Africans haven't cottened on yet. We just get plain old boxes.

Sabrina, several years ago I shared a really good household hint with someone else I met online from South Africa. That person had posted somewhere about having a horrible time with roaches/waterbugs. Nothing she'd tried could rid her home of them and she didn't know what else to try.

I have a recipe for "Roach Balls" and I sent her a copy. It's boric acid, flour, sugar, shortening and a finely chopped onion mixed and then rolled into tiny balls that dry to become as hard as rocks that you hide in inconspicuous out-of-reach places and I guarantee they'll get rid of the nasty bugs.

Sure enough, a few months later she told me she hadn't seen a waterbug since shortly after she used the recipe!

Can one have peeves without a pet?

[animallover821]

People saying 'I know how you feel'

'nuff said!

[filensave]

People chewing gum/ eating loudly.

[animallover821]

Originally Posted by filensave

People chewing gum/ eating loudly.

I'll have to second that one!

[Queen of Chaos]

Originally Posted by filensave

People chewing gum/ eating loudly.

Don't you hate going to a nice restaurant, maybe for a special occasion, and somebody's child is misbehaving?

I think I'm becoming shopping-challenged. Today I drove to a mall AND went to the trouble to park quite a long distance from the entrance in order to park under a little tree that looked about like a cane fishing pole with a little clump of leaves on top.

I was the only car in that whole area of the parking lot when I went inside. When I came out some doofus in the biggest truck I have ever seen had parked so close to my car it was almost impossible to get the driver's side door open enough to squeeze in.

Then I drove to the grocery store and when I came out I somehow (my keys were in my slack's pocket) set-off the alarm like someone was breaking into my car! I guess I pressed the "Panic Button" with my purse.

[Sabrina]

I get so annoyed with those sticky price labels. I buy my Jodi Picoult novels brand new, I am so proud of my collection, and more than half of them have the price label stuck right in the middle of the back of the book, where the excerpt about the book is. The label is so sticky, it can't be removed and you can't read the excerpt properly.

The same goes for plastic kitchen containers. I still buy kitchen items with price labels on (guess they haven't learned about the scanning bar codes yet) and these dang labels are impossible to remove and leave a sticky residue if I do succeed.

[Queen of Chaos]

Originally Posted by Sabrina

I get so annoyed with those sticky price labels. I buy my Jodi Picoult novels brand new, I am so proud of my collection, and more than half of them have the price label stuck right in the middle of the back of the book, where the excerpt about the book is. The label is so sticky, it can't be removed and you can't read the excerpt properly.

The same goes for plastic kitchen containers. I still buy kitchen items with price labels on (guess they haven't learned about the scanning bar codes yet) and these dang labels are impossible to remove and leave a sticky residue if I do succeed.

I've damaged lots of things through the years trying to get sticky labels off. I actually have a large mirror that I have NEVER been able to completely remove all the sticky residue.

This is slightly different but you know when you get bills or advertising from department stores that have perfume samples in them? I laid one of those samples (a small folded brochure-type thing) on our dresser and it took the finish off.

My brother, as a child, laid a rubbery reptile/worm-type toy (soft, very pliable) on our piano and it took the finish off - that was 30 years ago and you can still see the shape of whatever it was, maybe an alligator.

[yellowted]

my pet peeve is thoughtless people who park cars, vans , articulated lorries etc over dropped curbs. do they think mobility scooters and wheelchairs can fly????

nail varnish remover is great for removing sticky things, though do not use on varnished items!!!

[filensave]

Another one is people cutting you off while you are talking. I've gotten used to it for the most part but sometimes it gets to me.

My parents got this stuff they call Goo-Gone, I think they got it at wal-mart? It got the sticky stuff from a price tag off of my plastic cup beautifully.