A few things I hate

I apologize in advance for being a big fat complainer. Maybe I'm PMS'ing or something, I don't know, but a whole lot of things are BUGGING THE CRAP OUT OF ME and I have to get them off my chest. I can't do it to people in real life because then I'm a "downer." So best to do it here where you have the choice to read it or just skip it. On with it:

I hate it when restaurants put shredded lettuce all over everything. Usually, I hear this complaint about onions. I haven't a beef with the onion (heehee). I can understand the onion thing. They have a very distinct odor and taste to them that tends to permeate the food. Lettuce on the other hand tastes like nothing. So why is it there?? To annoy me, that's why! And SHREDDED! Aaaaaaaugh! It gets all over everything and it's nearly impossible to get it all off. The other day I went to Taco Cabana and, as usual, ordered my tacos with no lettuce or tomato and they served those bad boys up hot and tasty with lettuce and tomato. Tomatoes, I don't mind so much. They're diced, just flick 'em off with the fork (besides, I'm about to drown my taco in pico de gallo anyway). I then spent 10 minutes on each taco picking out those dreadful little shreds of lettuce. Maybe I should've complained and gotten some new tacos made, but I spent too much time in the food industry and I know that workers get in an insane amount of trouble over stupid crap like that, so I just held my tongue. And then, every time I go to a sit down restaurant and order up some fa-hee-tas, they bring me this beautiful plate with pico and sour cream in the middle....ON A BED OF SHREDDED LETTUCE that gets in everything!!! That was NOT in the menu description! What's it there for? Garnish? To look pretty? Its texture does not meld (in my opinion) with the soft chicken, the gooey cheese, and the juicy pico. It's all crunchy and just ugh. Lettuce belongs in salads, not shredded under my pico de gallo! Oh whew, glad I got that out in the open.

Another thing I hate: people who imply, or just flat out state, that I am stupid because I do not agree with their political or religious beliefs. Now, this isn't so widespread with religion as it is politics. Usually, in religion, they just kind of feel sorry for you and say that they'll pray for you. To which I say, there's more than one way up a mountain. What makes you think that you and your church family are the only ones who are right in a world with hundreds, if not thousands, of different religions? Faith is a highly personal thing to me and at the risk of sounding like a picker and chooser, you have to believe what YOU believe. Not what anyone else, including your church, tells you to believe without question. On to politics...I have run into many people, mostly on the internet, who insist that I am stupid or "just not paying attention" because I do not agree with what they are saying. And in one instance, I was told it was because I "just don't read." Huh? How do you know what or how much I read? That's quite a broad assumption to make about someone you just "met" 5 minutes ago. I watch the news, but that is often not a valid source for many people. It's not a valid source of getting ALL of your news, but it's a good starting point because you can't just skip a page. News stories that may not sound relevant on the surface, sometimes turn out to be relevant after all. I also read many articles on the internet. True, you cannot believe everything you read on the internet. I find that most news sources are incredibly slanted one way or another. And yes, they slant both ways. You just have to be observant enough to know when a story is being spun. Most stories about world events and politics have a pretty heavy spin on them. And if the story itself doesn't have a heavy spin, then the news agency itself is blatantly bashing one candidate (printing unfavorable statistics) while unabashedly praising another (printing a positive biographical article). They have freedom of press and can choose to print whatever they please. It's up to us to decide what to believe 100% and what to take with a grain of salt. I would suggest taking 98% of it with a grain of salt. As far as this presidential election goes, I'm glad people are passionate about it one way or another. I really hope that it gets record numbers to the polls. But in all of your debating and discussing, please refrain from calling people stupid or telling them that they're out of touch because they disagree with you. Do your research and be prepared to back yourself up, but don't insult others. That only shows your insecurity and weakness. You can be informative and persuasive without being condescending. This country grows and thrives because of diversity of thought. If we all believed the same things, practiced the same faith, had the same experiences, we would go nowhere. We need all types in office to bring together vastly differing ideas and learn to compromise so that they work the best for everyone. And if you are the smartest person, and you have all the answers, maybe you should run for office.

OK, now for a problem I have with people and personal relationships. I like funny people. I love to laugh. Occasionally, jokes are at my expense. That's fine. But things need to be balanced. Someone last night asked me, "Well, what do you want? For me to be mean or nice?" I had asked him why he's always so mean to me. I try hard to be nice to him. I mean, we're talking some inhuman, seemingly infinite patience with this guy. So why do I have to choose? Why can't he be both? You know, mix it up a little. Every once in a while, give me a sign that you don't mean all of those things. If you truly don't like me, then let me know. I don't have the time or energy to be wasting on people who don't even like me. But if you like the banter that we have, just give a smoke signal, send a pigeon, SOMETHING! Just let me know that you don't really think all of those things about me. Most things roll off my back, but after a while, I start wondering if maybe you really believe all of your "jokes." And don't add insult to injury by telling me I'm "uptight" or have "no sense of humor" because I politely ask you to lay off. Because there is no way for me to defend myself against that. Of course, if I try, then I'm being "defensive" which, all of a sudden, is this horrible weakness. If you insult me, I will defend myself. If I ask you to lay off, just stop with your current line of insults. Apologizing would be a nice touch, too. But you know, I can never point this out to anyone. That would make me controlling. Can you tell that I've been in a few no-win situations? I don't think I have to win 'em all, but it'd be nice for someone to relent occasionally and just say they're sorry for hurting my feelings. I feel like I'm apologizing all the damn time. It'd be nice to get some reciprocity every once in a while.

Which leads me to the final thing (for now, I'm sure) that I hate. I hate hate hate it when guys call girls psycho. Just because a girl does something you don't expect or necessarily want, that does not mean that she's a nutcase. She does not have some mental problem that prevents her from being a normal individual because she cannot read your mind. Last night I was asked, "Do you have girl parts?" Obvious answer. Then, "You're psycho." What the hell? So all I had to do was somehow acquire XX chromosomes and now I'm a nutjob? Psycho is calling 10 times a day just to see where you are and what you're doing. Psycho is parking across the street to see if you're home and who you're with. Psycho is leaving a dead bunny on your doorstep. GOING OVER TO TALK TO YOU AT THE STUPID BAR FOR FIVE MINUTES IS NOT PSYCHO! Sending a text message? Not psycho! Giving a hug? Not psycho! Leaving a voicemail! Not psycho! See where I'm going here? That word is flung around like monkey poo with such carelessness, that when you do finally meet someone who really has brain problems, no one believes you! The old "crying wolf" syndrome. I have been called psycho for the most ridiculous, innocuous things. If there is intent to do harm, then fine, have some fear and call her a psycho. If she's just being nice...she's just being nice! Think about your slanderous words before you run off and tell all of your friends how crazy Janet is. Susan showed up at "your" bar??? Oh my, she MUST be stalking you. You saw Michelle on the freeway the other day? I'm certain she's following you. Get real and start acting like a grown up.

On a related note, ladies, we need to stop bashing the men. Even though some of them tend to do ridiculous, immature things like what I mentioned in the above paragraph, most of them are pretty decent people. We all are. We're just people who have different private parts. Some of us are nice, some are mean. Some are snobby, some are humble. Some are nutcases, but most are actually sane people. Men and women alike. The War of the Sexes is the most ridiculous and inane thing I've ever heard of. Just be nice and make out, OK?

I have to go to the store for ice cream and Midol. The End. For Now.