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

[Mental Magpie]

Saying something on the phone only to be met with silence.  The worst part?  The multiple times he's been told that if he doesn't respond in some way, even a grunt, I don't know that he's heard me.  The other worst part?  My mom did the same thing on the phone not five minutes before he did.  I've also told her numerous times that if she needs me to hold on for a moment, I'd be happy to, but she needs to tell me.

[Elfmama]

Saying something on the phone only to be met with silence.  The worst part?  The multiple times he's been told that if he doesn't respond in some way, even a grunt, I don't know that he's heard me.  The other worst part?  My mom did the same thing on the phone not five minutes before he did.  I've also told her numerous times that if she needs me to hold on for a moment, I'd be happy to, but she needs to tell me.

Start talking nonsense.  Something silly, like you took a trip to the moon last week and now you have a lifetime's supply of green cheese to go with your green eggs and ham. THAT will get a response.  And if it doesn't, you know they weren't listening.

[Kendo_Bunny]

I know it's a stupid thing, but when I switch radio stations because my regular station is playing a song I hate, and my back-up station is playing a song I really hate. Inevitably when that happens, I scan my other back-up stations, and if they're not playing commercials, they're also playing songs I hate.

I know that's such a trivial problem, but it ruins at least three minutes of the day.

[mmswm]

I know it's a stupid thing, but when I switch radio stations because my regular station is playing a song I hate, and my back-up station is playing a song I really hate. Inevitably when that happens, I scan my other back-up stations, and if they're not playing commercials, they're also playing songs I hate.

I know that's such a trivial problem, but it ruins at least three minutes of the day.

It ruins far more than three minutes.  I'm usually in a grumpy mood for at least 5 minutes when that happens.

[Mental Magpie]

Saying something on the phone only to be met with silence.  The worst part?  The multiple times he's been told that if he doesn't respond in some way, even a grunt, I don't know that he's heard me.  The other worst part?  My mom did the same thing on the phone not five minutes before he did.  I've also told her numerous times that if she needs me to hold on for a moment, I'd be happy to, but she needs to tell me.

Start talking nonsense.  Something silly, like you took a trip to the moon last week and now you have a lifetime's supply of green cheese to go with your green eggs and ham. THAT will get a response.  And if it doesn't, you know they weren't listening.

Oh, I know he's not listening; my mother is listening to someone else.  I have told both of them a number of times that I don't appreciate it, but nothing ever changes.  I decided today to just say goodbye and hang up without the usual pause/give and take at the end of a conversation.

[Piratelvr1121]

Saying something on the phone only to be met with silence.  The worst part?  The multiple times he's been told that if he doesn't respond in some way, even a grunt, I don't know that he's heard me.  The other worst part?  My mom did the same thing on the phone not five minutes before he did.  I've also told her numerous times that if she needs me to hold on for a moment, I'd be happy to, but she needs to tell me.

Start talking nonsense.  Something silly, like you took a trip to the moon last week and now you have a lifetime's supply of green cheese to go with your green eggs and ham. THAT will get a response.  And if it doesn't, you know they weren't listening.

Reminds me of the movie Patch Adams. He's talking to the psychologist at the mental hospital who's a jerk and not listening to him so Patch starts saying things like "I thought if I used my *private organ* as a pogo stick I could bounce all the way to the moon, or at least Uranus, and at least that would be a way of getting around."  The pysch just nods and says "Mmhmm, that's great, Hunter."

Later he tells the guy "I want to listen to people and help them."
"That's what I do!"
"But you suck at it!"

Seriously though in that situation I think it's best to say "Since you're distracted by something else I'll leave you alone." and hang up.

[Piratelvr1121]

Today an older woman at the park's art museum chatted with me as we were leaving started up a conversation about my having 3 boys. It was around 4 and as I had bought a veggie lasagna and wanted to get home to throw it in the oven.

She had 4 kids, three of which were boys and she was commiserating on how much they eat in the preteen and teen years.   She shared that her fourth was a girl, said with a wink.  I said "Well this is it. No more for us."

She gave a smug look and said "Hm, We'll see."  Um, no.  We've taken measures to prevent further children after the last surprise. It's not going to be happening again.

[mmswm]

Piratelvr, I can commiserate with you on that one.  I have three boys and I'm forever hearing from people about trying for a girl.  Ummm.  No.  I nearly died trying to bring DS3 into the world, he was born at 24 weeks weigh a whopping 504 grams.  The problems I had with his pregnancy were the same problems I had with the other two, just worse.  I am not doing that again.  Even if my useless ex didn't pull a disappearing act, the kids I have now need a mother.  Not that I share all that with people, but it seems like some people can't get over the fact that some of us are quite happy with our families just the way they are.

[ladyknight1]

Saying something on the phone only to be met with silence.  The worst part?  The multiple times he's been told that if he doesn't respond in some way, even a grunt, I don't know that he's heard me.  The other worst part?  My mom did the same thing on the phone not five minutes before he did.  I've also told her numerous times that if she needs me to hold on for a moment, I'd be happy to, but she needs to tell me.

Start talking nonsense.  Something silly, like you took a trip to the moon last week and now you have a lifetime's supply of green cheese to go with your green eggs and ham. THAT will get a response.  And if it doesn't, you know they weren't listening.

Oh, I know he's not listening; my mother is listening to someone else.  I have told both of them a number of times that I don't appreciate it, but nothing ever changes.  I decided today to just say goodbye and hang up without the usual pause/give and take at the end of a conversation.

When that happens with mom or DH, I say "Love you, I will talk to you later" and end the call. With mom, she gets 2-3 days without me calling and DH gets the rest of the morning or afternoon. I will answer if they call me, but I usually just switch to something else I need or want to do.

[Piratelvr1121]

Piratelvr, I can commiserate with you on that one.  I have three boys and I'm forever hearing from people about trying for a girl.  Ummm.  No.  I nearly died trying to bring DS3 into the world, he was born at 24 weeks weigh a whopping 504 grams.  The problems I had with his pregnancy were the same problems I had with the other two, just worse.  I am not doing that again.  Even if my useless ex didn't pull a disappearing act, the kids I have now need a mother.  Not that I share all that with people, but it seems like some people can't get over the fact that some of us are quite happy with our families just the way they are.

Yeah there seems to be some unwritten law that some of us don't know about that requires both genders to be represented in one's offspring.

Have all boys? You must keep trying for a girl!
Have all girls? When are you going to give your husband a son?
Have just one child and prefer it that way? Sorry, you must keep trying for the opposite gender!

My go to line is "We don't have the room for more than 5 people."

[Piratelvr1121]

And now for something completely different, a man with three buttocks.

No seriously, I just got an email from Payless shoes which reminded me of another irritant.  Getting a coupon for something you already bought the day before. Yesterday I bought Piratebabe new shoes at Payless.  Today? I get an email coupon for 30% off.  Grrr.

[Emmy]

Piratelvr, I can commiserate with you on that one.  I have three boys and I'm forever hearing from people about trying for a girl.  Ummm.  No.  I nearly died trying to bring DS3 into the world, he was born at 24 weeks weigh a whopping 504 grams.  The problems I had with his pregnancy were the same problems I had with the other two, just worse.  I am not doing that again.  Even if my useless ex didn't pull a disappearing act, the kids I have now need a mother.  Not that I share all that with people, but it seems like some people can't get over the fact that some of us are quite happy with our families just the way they are.

I'll expect to get this.  I have a little girl and another one on the way.  DH and I are very thrilled.  I told somebody that baby #2 was to be a girl and got back an "aww, maybe next time you'll get a boy" type response.  Most likely there will not be a next time and if there was, we'd be happy with whatever we get.  My DH used to work with a woman who was the last of 12 girls and know of other large families 6 or 8 kids that are all the same gender so simply 'trying for a boy/girl' doesn't mean you will get one.  Besides, with that attitude, a child of the 'wrong' gender would be a failed attempt.  I hate the notion that having a family without a certain gender of child is somehow 'incomplete' (and if somebody feels that way, they should keep the feelings to themselves).

Today an older woman at the park's art museum chatted with me as we were leaving started up a conversation about my having 3 boys. It was around 4 and as I had bought a veggie lasagna and wanted to get home to throw it in the oven.

She had 4 kids, three of which were boys and she was commiserating on how much they eat in the preteen and teen years.   She shared that her fourth was a girl, said with a wink.  I said "Well this is it. No more for us."

She gave a smug look and said "Hm, We'll see."  Um, no.  We've taken measures to prevent further children after the last surprise. It's not going to be happening again.

This may be an interesting assumption, but what she said makes it seem like her boys are failed attempts at girls.  I feel really bad for them if that is the case.

[Piratelvr1121]

Well she shared that her fourth child was a surprise.  I took it as "Just wait your fourth could be a girl!" And I wasn't going to waste any more breath trying to make it clear that there was not going to BE a fourth. 

A friend of mine is married to a guy who is the last of 3 and the only boy, and she said his sisters are very nice women, but she suspects his behavior is largely due to the fact that he was the baby and the only boy and as a result got spoiled rotten and his parents still think he can do no wrong.   He's moving up to his parent's house soon and she admitted she hopes they get to see even a glimmer of the way he's treated her in their marriage.

[guihong]

Not to mention that teenage sons don't have a corner on eating.  DD14 can outeat her 6'2" father.  We call her the Human Food Vacuum.

[Piratelvr1121]

Oh yeah, had I been allowed to as a teen I could have easily put away a good amount of food.  As it is I ran cross country in high school and I remember saying to my mother (who I don't think liked hearing it but oh well) that the good thing about exercise is it gave me an excuse to eat more because I'd burn it off in practice or at a meet.

That made up for the super short shorts we had to wear....almost.