What little things drive you completely up the wall....?

[Piratelvr1121]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I can understand that.  I had a crush on Matthew Broderick in high school and some said "He's too old for you" well yeah, but I can still look. 

[cabbagegirl28]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I can understand that.  I had a crush on Matthew Broderick in high school and some said "He's too old for you" well yeah, but I can still look.

Same feeling. Mark Harmon is older than my dad, but he's still a good-looking man. Pretty much every guy I like on TV is too old for me, but do I care? Nope!
I never understood why people felt the need to comment on anyone's choice of celebrity crushes. It's not like I have a snowball's chance in the hot place with Johnny Galecki or Sean Murray, but they're still gorgeous. It's not harming anyone, so what's the worry? 

[Adelaide]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I can understand that.  I had a crush on Matthew Broderick in high school and some said "He's too old for you" well yeah, but I can still look.

Same feeling. Mark Harmon is older than my dad, but he's still a good-looking man. Pretty much every guy I like on TV is too old for me, but do I care? Nope!
I never understood why people felt the need to comment on anyone's choice of celebrity crushes. It's not like I have a snowball's chance in the hot place with Johnny Galecki or Sean Murray, but they're still gorgeous. It's not harming anyone, so what's the worry? 

At this point my parents have gone past That's Funny and moved on to Genuine Concern. My mother's been citing divorce/death statistics and at one point asked me if I had father issues. I just shrugged and said "Probably. It's your husband's fault if I do!"

[BabyMama]

Following cake recipe links and finding that they start with "take 1 box of XXX cake mix..."

Oh my gosh, thank you. I'd started to think I was the only one. Nothing makes me more disappointed than following a really good looking recipe on Pinterest (or anywhere else) that is described as THEBESTCAKEVERELEVENTY!! and then finding out it uses cake mix.  I commented my feelings on Facebook, to which I was met with responses such as "You're crazy!" and "Um, no. I have the completely opposite reaction..." I'm sorry. But IMO the "best cake ever" does NOT start with a box of yellow cake mix. 

[cabbagegirl28]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I can understand that.  I had a crush on Matthew Broderick in high school and some said "He's too old for you" well yeah, but I can still look.

Same feeling. Mark Harmon is older than my dad, but he's still a good-looking man. Pretty much every guy I like on TV is too old for me, but do I care? Nope!
I never understood why people felt the need to comment on anyone's choice of celebrity crushes. It's not like I have a snowball's chance in the hot place with Johnny Galecki or Sean Murray, but they're still gorgeous. It's not harming anyone, so what's the worry? 

At this point my parents have gone past That's Funny and moved on to Genuine Concern. My mother's been citing divorce/death statistics and at one point asked me if I had father issues. I just shrugged and said "Probably. It's your husband's fault if I do!"

If my mom had told me that (after I picked myself off the floor laughing my rear end off), I would give her a raised eyebrow and say, "You just said that, out loud. Wow."

My mom wouldn't tell me that though; my dad is about 9 years older than she is, and she and dad have told me that I'm allowed to date anyone that's my age to 7 years older than I am. Once I'm out of college, they don't care as long as he's not obviously trying to be a creeper.

[mmswm]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I can understand that.  I had a crush on Matthew Broderick in high school and some said "He's too old for you" well yeah, but I can still look.

You can't have Mark Harmon.  He's mine.    Seriously though, I think he's the hottest old man on TV.



Same feeling. Mark Harmon is older than my dad, but he's still a good-looking man. Pretty much every guy I like on TV is too old for me, but do I care? Nope!
I never understood why people felt the need to comment on anyone's choice of celebrity crushes. It's not like I have a snowball's chance in the hot place with Johnny Galecki or Sean Murray, but they're still gorgeous. It's not harming anyone, so what's the worry? 

[Kendo_Bunny]

I helped a friend compile a family cookbook years back. All of her grandmother's recipes called for something on the order of "bake in a medium oven until done." That was state of the art, back in the day.

One family thing that made me crazy is that what recipes my grandmother left are all missing a key ingredient. She apparently did not like the idea that anyone could be a better cook than her, so when Dad finally got her to give a few recipes to my mother, she always left something out, so she could look down her nose and say "Well, it's all right, but it's not like mine".

So far the only one I've figured out was that our family recipe for stuffing was missing sage, because onion stuffing without sage is crazy talk. The rest I've been tinkering with, but it's hard to figure out, since she died well before I was born, so I never tasted her cooking. I have to rely on 40+ year old memories of what they were supposed to taste like.

[ladyknight1]

Following cake recipe links and finding that they start with "take 1 box of XXX cake mix..."

Oh my gosh, thank you. I'd started to think I was the only one. Nothing makes me more disappointed than following a really good looking recipe on Pinterest (or anywhere else) that is described as THEBESTCAKEVERELEVENTY!! and then finding out it uses cake mix.  I commented my feelings on Facebook, to which I was met with responses such as "You're crazy!" and "Um, no. I have the completely opposite reaction..." I'm sorry. But IMO the "best cake ever" does NOT start with a box of yellow cake mix. 

I disagree, but that is because I have baked so many each way. It is a matter of opinion.

[mmswm]

Along similar lines, last week I was looking for baked empanada recipes. Every single one I came across walked you through making the dough and the filling, then how to stuff and fold them and ended with "and bake until golden brown." No temperature, no time, just bake!

You just described all the family recipes. If asked, grandma and the aunts explain that they all had different ovens, some hotter than others but they all knew the temperature to bake a cake on their own oven. *sigh*

I helped a friend compile a family cookbook years back. All of her grandmother's recipes called for something on the order of "bake in a medium oven until done." That was state of the art, back in the day.

My favorite cookbook has a copyright of 1893.  The temperatures are "hot", "very hot", "warm", etc.  The recipes are to die for, but figuring out the temperatures took me some time.

[Elfmama]

Along similar lines, last week I was looking for baked empanada recipes. Every single one I came across walked you through making the dough and the filling, then how to stuff and fold them and ended with "and bake until golden brown." No temperature, no time, just bake!

You just described all the family recipes. If asked, grandma and the aunts explain that they all had different ovens, some hotter than others but they all knew the temperature to bake a cake on their own oven. *sigh*

I helped a friend compile a family cookbook years back. All of her grandmother's recipes called for something on the order of "bake in a medium oven until done." That was state of the art, back in the day.

My favorite cookbook has a copyright of 1893.  The temperatures are "hot", "very hot", "warm", etc.  The recipes are to die for, but figuring out the temperatures took me some time.

Because in the days of wood-burning cookstoves, there were no oven temperature controls/thermostats/thermometers.  You learned to judge temperature by opening the oven door and sticking your hand in.  It was a matter of practice, so in most cases a young girl started by helping her mother.  By the time she married, she knew that an oven that felt just so was a "medium" oven (about 350^oF).

Most baked goods are just not that picky.  If your recipe calls for a 400^o oven for 10 minutes, your cookies will bake just fine at 375 for 15 minutes.  Any recipe that calls for a generic temperature like 'hot' that does not go on to give a temperature number I would start with the oven at 375^oF (UK gas mark 5) and adjust my cooking time as necessary.

[Dr. F.]

Along similar lines, last week I was looking for baked empanada recipes. Every single one I came across walked you through making the dough and the filling, then how to stuff and fold them and ended with "and bake until golden brown." No temperature, no time, just bake!

You just described all the family recipes. If asked, grandma and the aunts explain that they all had different ovens, some hotter than others but they all knew the temperature to bake a cake on their own oven. *sigh*

I helped a friend compile a family cookbook years back. All of her grandmother's recipes called for something on the order of "bake in a medium oven until done." That was state of the art, back in the day.

My favorite cookbook has a copyright of 1893.  The temperatures are "hot", "very hot", "warm", etc.  The recipes are to die for, but figuring out the temperatures took me some time.

I love older cookbooks. Could you let me know the title of the one you like?

[Piratelvr1121]

Static in the winter.  I hate brushing my hair when it's wet but in the winter it's even worse brushing it dry cause it flies all over. I really need to remember to keep a spray bottle of water handy so it can be just slightly wet so it won't fly all over.  And then there's the wispy hairs that aren't long enough for my ponytail/bun and will stick to my face.

[Desdemona]

Static in the winter.  I hate brushing my hair when it's wet but in the winter it's even worse brushing it dry cause it flies all over. I really need to remember to keep a spray bottle of water handy so it can be just slightly wet so it won't fly all over.  And then there's the wispy hairs that aren't long enough for my ponytail/bun and will stick to my face.

If you have them, dryer sheets will also help with the sticking and frizz. I just rub one all over my head after brushing and it keeps me from looking like the victim of an electric experiment.

[mmswm]

Along similar lines, last week I was looking for baked empanada recipes. Every single one I came across walked you through making the dough and the filling, then how to stuff and fold them and ended with "and bake until golden brown." No temperature, no time, just bake!

You just described all the family recipes. If asked, grandma and the aunts explain that they all had different ovens, some hotter than others but they all knew the temperature to bake a cake on their own oven. *sigh*

I helped a friend compile a family cookbook years back. All of her grandmother's recipes called for something on the order of "bake in a medium oven until done." That was state of the art, back in the day.

My favorite cookbook has a copyright of 1893.  The temperatures are "hot", "very hot", "warm", etc.  The recipes are to die for, but figuring out the temperatures took me some time.

I love older cookbooks. Could you let me know the title of the one you like?

The next time I talk to my mother I will get the exact title for you.  It's one of those items that I have "claimed" as my inheritance.  Morbid, I know, but my sisters and I joke about such stuff all the time.

[JonGirl]

If I hear "He's too old for you" from my friends and family one more time I will implode. Not only in my actual personal life, but in stupid situations like movies. I just want to watch Skyfall in peace and stare at Ralph Fiennes in a suit without hearing a pre-emptive "Look away, too old!" but apparently that's too much to ask. >.>

I get this with Kevin Kline. Who is older than my dad!.