Special Snowflake Stories

[Iris]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

[AngelicGamer]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

I ever feel bad for the cellos playing Pachabel's Canon and I'm a violinist!  I'm not allowed to feel bad for them. 

[iridaceae]

As my mom and I walked up to them, there was a space big enough for two people to walk side by side, and only if they walked *literally* up against the wall, where upon they'd almost immediately hit a window of the next store, and there's usually enough room for 5 people to walk abreast).  When we reached them, I said, "excuse me, could you please move?  You're blocking the aisle."

My dad and I went to Italy this summer and among other things went to Venice. I had never been there before so we decided to walk over the Rialto Bridge just for the "I did it " factor. In late July it is very very very crowded on the bridge. Which, for those who haven't been there is a pedestrian bridge. At the very top there is a family of 6 or 7 standing in a circle trying to decide where to go next. I am fairly good at getting through crowds and I could barely do so. They just didn't -wouldn't - move while they had their family discussion forcing everyone to try and maneuver around them.

[AliciaLynette]

As my mom and I walked up to them, there was a space big enough for two people to walk side by side, and only if they walked *literally* up against the wall, where upon they'd almost immediately hit a window of the next store, and there's usually enough room for 5 people to walk abreast).  When we reached them, I said, "excuse me, could you please move?  You're blocking the aisle."

My dad and I went to Italy this summer and among other things went to Venice. I had never been there before so we decided to walk over the Rialto Bridge just for the "I did it " factor. In late July it is very very very crowded on the bridge. Which, for those who haven't been there is a pedestrian bridge. At the very top there is a family of 6 or 7 standing in a circle trying to decide where to go next. I am fairly good at getting through crowds and I could barely do so. They just didn't -wouldn't - move while they had their family discussion forcing everyone to try and maneuver around them.

Having my DD in a pushchair has eliminated any chance of my being polite to people like this, once I've said 'Excuse me' once.  If they ignore me or don't move, I raise my voice and say 'Oi! You're blocking the path, move!' I have no patience for selfish people.  And they are being selfish and thoughtless at best, and deliberately rude at worst. 
There are exceptions, obviously, for disabled/injured/elderly/children!

[iridaceae]

Having my DD in a pushchair has eliminated any chance of my being polite to people like this, once I've said 'Excuse me' once.  If they ignore me or don't move, I raise my voice and say 'Oi! You're blocking the path, move!' I have no patience for selfish people.  And they are being selfish and thoughtless at best, and deliberately rude at worst. 
There are exceptions, obviously, for disabled/injured/elderly/children!
[/quote]

They were told-by other people. They ignored them. I don't know if it was selfishness or an ignorance of English.

[ica171]

My SS neighbors are really getting on my nerves lately, and some days I think they're intentionally doing things to annoy us instead of just being obtuse SS.

First, there are a lot of people that live there. (Not SS, but bear with me.) I know there's a family with several children and an uncle, but there's also at least one young guy and I think a woman. I'm not sure how or if they're related to anybody. They have approximately 983576264 cars and trucks. OK, closer to 5-6. Their double driveway could fit all their vehicles, but instead it holds one car while they park the other vehicles on the street around my driveway. At first I didn't mind. It's kind of annoying, but there's plenty of street parking since they are one of the two or three houses on the street that actually parks on it. But for the last few months they've been parking exactly at the edges of my driveway and leaving the rest of the street empty. Backing out is a giant pain because I'm afraid I'm going to hit one of their cars.

Second, they seem to think that my front yard is their trash can and personal property. They unload their cars onto it. They clean out their cars onto it. They throw random trash on it. I was thisclose to picking up some junk they left there and depositing it on their doorstep, but it was magically gone yesterday when I got home. (First time that's happened.)

Third, they are inconsiderate. They let their children play in the street and they haven't taught them that when cars come, you get out of the street. Almost every morning someone's ride (yes, even with all those cars I guess someone gets picked up) pulls up and honks outside their house for fifteen minutes. This morning it was only ten, so I guess someone was on the ball.

There was an elderly man that used to live next door to us that would always call and report their cars abandoned because at the time they moved them very late at night or early in the morning. I thought (and still think) that was snowflakey, but I understand the urge to do something like that now.

I'm glad we're planning on moving in the next few years, although I really hope the next neighbors are better and not worse.

[LadyClaire]

The SSness about my employee discount continues.

A co-worker at my full time job came up to me yesterday with a print-out of a pair of boots on the website of the department store I'm working for. She said "Hey, order these for me and I'll pay you back, OK?"

I told her that the cost of shipping was high enough that it wouldn't make my discount worth it. She said "Well, are you working there tonight? I'll just come in and buy them from the store and you can give me the discount for them then."

I told her no, I wasn't, and even if I were, I wasn't going to give her my credit card or put the boots on my credit card for her. She sort of huffed at me and walked away. Later, I found out that she had approached me because another co-worker told her about my discount and said that I would do it. Without asking me, and knowing full well that I have already turned down other people who have wanted me to get the discount for them.

[Nora]

I'm baffled by the whole thing.

I can see feeling this way - when you are sick you tend to attach an undue amount of importance to mundane or everyday things. I can only imagine that that would be magnified 1000x when you are sick for an extended period of time. DP has probably been looking forward tremendously to cooking on 'her' grill for a long time and then her illness got in the way at the last moment. That's got to be disappointing. However, I know that personally I would feel silly for feeling that way and would certainly be gracious while guests were there, but may let my disappointment and 'silly' feelings out to DH once they left because he is my 'safe' person and gets to see allllllll my crazy 

Now, if you said she was actually insisting on buying a new grill...

I'm hoping that once she uses it a time or two she'll feel a little better. Sadly, she hasn't had a chance to yet, between weather and other logistics. Hoping maybe soon, though! Glad to hear it's not totally out of the realm of 'normal' though... I was a bit worried. LOL
[/quote]

I just want to add that as someone frequently incapacitated by her autoimmune diseases I totally get where your DP is coming from. I would have been so dissapointed in that situation, and have been in similar situations where I'm pretty sure DH did not get why something "small" ruined my day like that. She looked forward to it. She got sick (again). It was deferred to others and thus out of her hands, so no longer "her thing". That gets really old really fast if you are often and unpredictably ill. (((HUGS FOR HER)))

[deadbody]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

They may be everything into making the entire piece work, but they are the single most boring and unfun part of the song.  IIRC correctly even the Viola players got a small solo part in that song.  The Viola.....no one ever gives them a part because they are just the Viola.  Yet us cellists get 8 notes over and over and over and over and god please end this song or kill me now.

Anyone who thinks the cellists are anything other than homocidal after playing this song has never had to perform and practice it a bunch.  Seriously, after 1 month of playing as a 5 year old I could have handled this part, but since everyone else has to learn their significantly more difficult and interesting parts we have to keep practicing it.  Over and over and over and over.  8 notes over and over and over and over.

Can you tell the level of hatred I have for this piece?

[ladyknight1]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

I ever feel bad for the cellos playing Pachabel's Canon and I'm a violinist!  I'm not allowed to feel bad for them. 

I am a reformed violinist and a practicing cellist. I still like Pachabel's Canon.

[Dindrane]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxkVQy7QLM

I ever feel bad for the cellos playing Pachabel's Canon and I'm a violinist!  I'm not allowed to feel bad for them. 

I love that video. It explains everything I feel about that piece of music so much more hilariously than I ever could.

Also, what deadbody said. Pachelbel's Canon is one of those pieces of music that is truly lovely when listened to, which is why so many people like it. But I've had to play it as a cellist so many times that it makes me stabby just to hear the opening strains. It's a totally Pavlovian reaction at this point. I outlawed it at our wedding for just that reason.

[Lorelei_Evil]

Unless you play the cello and it's Pachelbel's Canon. Then there is like negative eleventy million awesome. Times three, since everybody else gets at least a little awesome, but you get the same 8 quarter notes for like 10 minutes (which, of course, feels like approximately the rest of your life).

I'm sorry, but I have to respectfully ask you if you accidentally just took some mind altering drugs and mistakenly typed negative instead of positive and eleventy million instead of fifty-seven thousand billion kajillion. Those 8 quarter notes are everything in Pachabel's Canon. I bet the only time boy cello players get the girls is when the ensemble they're in is playing Pachabel's Canon 

They may be everything into making the entire piece work, but they are the single most boring and unfun part of the song.  IIRC correctly even the Viola players got a small solo part in that song.  The Viola.....no one ever gives them a part because they are just the Viola.  Yet us cellists get 8 notes over and over and over and over and god please end this song or kill me now.

Anyone who thinks the cellists are anything other than homocidal after playing this song has never had to perform and practice it a bunch.  Seriously, after 1 month of playing as a 5 year old I could have handled this part, but since everyone else has to learn their significantly more difficult and interesting parts we have to keep practicing it.  Over and over and over and over.  8 notes over and over and over and over.

Can you tell the level of hatred I have for this piece?

Does it match mine?  I play flute and I hate Elgar, too. 

[suzieQ]

DH and I just returned from Disney World. Had a wonderful time!  Also got a couple of stories for this thread.

While being squeezed into the mass of humanity trying to get onto the Haunted Mansion ride, we were in a "funnel" of people that had to narrow from a large group to single file.
DH politely let one person ahead of us, as that person was trying to stay with their group. As we started to move into position to get into the line, a group of at least 8 people, (all older teens) and all holding onto each other's backpacks, so there was no way to break into their line, broke in front of us. DH was less polite after that incident. (not rude, just not giving up our place in line to allow someone else in again)

At the Osborne Light Show in Disney Hollywood Studios: We were standing in a large crowd, right behind a walkway, so lots of people were walking directly in front of us. A "lady" and her companion came up and put her hand on DH's back, pushing him into the walkway while saying "Excuse me!" instead of simply walking in front of him in the walkway. Nearly caused him to fall, and he is a big guy.

We saw a lot of Special Snowflakes there.

[gingerzing]

I try to avoid eating out on big holidays.  Most of the time I can get DH to understand this.  But one year (New Year's Eve) he had a hankering for seafood and we HAD to go to a local seafood place - nice sit down place.  Fine, but even getting there somewhat early -5:30PM- meant that we put our name on the list and had to wait just over an hour. 
And what an hour it was!  Since the bar area was packed, we were sitting on a bench near the hostess stand. 
One gentleman came in about 5:50 and wanted to be seated for his reservation at 6.  Ummmm, what?  As the hostess explained that it wasn't possible, he went on about having a reservation for 12 people at 6PM and they HAD to be seated by 6. Yeah, but the tables are in use and hey, you are here 10 minutes early.  He grumbled a bit then left.  Around 6, the majority of the group came in and the hostess explained to a different person that their table would be ready in about 5 minutes since they had to do some set up.  The first guys grumbled on that they were ON TIME and by golly needed to have the whole group seated NOW.   Some others in the group distracted him for the time that it took the staff to set up the table.  Kicker?  The last 4 people came in about 5 minutes after the main part of the group had been seated.

Then there was the BIG SHOT Specialest Snowflake ever!
<Little background for this restaurant.  While there are some booths, about 2/3 of the seating are tables. >
This older guy walks in with a much younger trophy girlfriend/wife/whatnot on his arm.  (No, not an assumption.  So totally not a dad and daughter.  In fact, painfully the stereotype of older guy with young trophy wife)  He has a whole BIG SHOT attitude complete with a "Let me show you how it is DONE to get seated".   He walks up to the hostess and says, "Yeah, we need to be seated immediately...in a booth.  Now."  Hostess looks at him somewhat bemused and says, "And do you have a reservation?"  And everyone waiting KNOWS what his answer is going to be...with the exception of the girl on his arm.  "RESERVATIONS!?!?!?!? No, I want a booth now.  Why would I need a reservation?"  The hostess smiles sweetly, "Well, I AM sorry, sir, but as you can see there are quite a few people waiting for a table and without a reservation -made earlier this week or today - there is a 2 1/2 hour* wait."  Big Shot got all growly but ended up finally realizing that the hostess was not backing down. And most of the crowd who had been an audience to his major FAIL was now just waiting to have an excuse to teach him manners.  He grabbed his girlfriend/wife and rather than going out the main door, walked by me to a side door (down steps that gave her trouble in her super high heels) As he left with the parting shot of "Come on, baby.  This place is subpar anyway and doesn't know how to treat a customer."     

*For the record, the hostess had just told a couple that had walked in before Big Shot that it would be an hour to hour and half for a table.  Heh.  Pretty sure she knew what she was doing and was protecting the staff.

[TXJess]

DH and I just returned from Disney World. Had a wonderful time!  Also got a couple of stories for this thread.

While being squeezed into the mass of humanity trying to get onto the Haunted Mansion ride, we were in a "funnel" of people that had to narrow from a large group to single file.
DH politely let one person ahead of us, as that person was trying to stay with their group. As we started to move into position to get into the line, a group of at least 8 people, (all older teens) and all holding onto each other's backpacks, so there was no way to break into their line, broke in front of us. DH was less polite after that incident. (not rude, just not giving up our place in line to allow someone else in again)

At the Osborne Light Show in Disney Hollywood Studios: We were standing in a large crowd, right behind a walkway, so lots of people were walking directly in front of us. A "lady" and her companion came up and put her hand on DH's back, pushing him into the walkway while saying "Excuse me!" instead of simply walking in front of him in the walkway. Nearly caused him to fall, and he is a big guy.

We saw a lot of Special Snowflakes there.

I went to Disney World last March, and we experienced the same thing at the Haunted Mansion ride! This huge family just shoved themselves infront of us! We had the same issue at Pirates of the Carribean; lots of line cutting! We definitely saw our fair share of special snowflakes. Surprisingly, Universal Studios wasn't that bad... the excitement of Disney World must make people forget their manners.