Over the last few days I’ve read a lot of words about how people are irritated with other people. Most of it is based on politics as the VP candidates are picked and conventions are held. But some of it is based on family, friends, work and culture. Blogs, news outlets, radio broadcasts – I’m constantly hearing it: People are irritated. And they’re talking about it. A LOT.
Now, let me tell you: I have a lot I’d like to bitch about today. This entry actually has started down several different paths. Various themes this entry almost took:
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Why did Target switch to the crappy bags?
How can you believe that two women are interchangable just because of their common ground of…not having a penis?
Why are Junior High kids so damn mean?
Please put your DAMN SHOPPING CART IN THE BIN. I’m sick of putting them back for you.
Listen. I got pregnant at 18 and it was unplanned. Please quit making me feel like that is somehow my parent’s fault and indicates that they are lesser people because of it. And quit making it sound like that unplanned pregnancy is something equatable to murder or theivery.
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Most days I feel better after bitching. I seriously do. Something about getting the crap off my chest makes me able to finally let go of what is irritating me. But, something about this weekend – maybe I worked too hard, or got too little sleep – I’m suddenly not feeling better by bitching. Actually, I’m feeling worse.
So, today? I’m going to be positive. I’m going to try to focus on the things that don’t annoy me. Here is a list of a few things that make me NOT annoyed and therefore NOT in a bitchy mood.
- Cascadian Farms Organic Cinnamon Raisin Granola. OMG. I’ve been eating this stuff in vanilla yogurt every day for breakfast and I love it. I actually look forward to breakfast because it makes me so happy.
- The Fall TV Season and this most awesome printable premier calendar. I challenge you to highlight yours more often than I have.
- My oldest son who proves every day that he may possibly be the most awesome kid on the planet.
- The color magenta.
- It looks like our family that had homes destroyed by Katrina escaped Gustav relatively unscathed.
- My van. We drove it on our first road trip this weekend and not only did it provide entertainment to NikkiZ (built-in DVD players ROCK) but it provided adequate storage for moving stuff to my Mom’s new place. I think I would marry my minivan if I could. I kiss it often.
- My brother. We laughed so hard this weekend that I teared up when I said “goodbye” to him. I hate that he lives so far away. Of course, he and I both know that if we spent too much time together that constant laughter would turn into beatings. Like it does with all siblings. And I would sooo kick his ass. Like a big sister should.
I’m know there are more and I’m going to do my best to stay positive all this week on my blog. Bitching – even about mild things like dry skin on my feet – seems to not do much for my mood lately. I’m going to try to combat my constant irritation these last few weeks with OBNOXIOUS OPTIMISM. Anyone want to join me? What’s making you smile today?
This picture (taken by my brother) is included in case you had nothing to smile about. If this didn’t make you smile, you must be dead inside.
THat picture is amazing. I love it.
And now I need to go to Target and see if ours has crappy bags.
Sheesh, I thought I was the only one getting irritated all the time lately. Anyway, good for positive! That photo did make me smile. Absolutely adorable!
I am smiling because today is Tuesday, not Monday. Gotta start small & work my way up on this positive stuff….lol.
I, being the result of an unplanned teen pregnancy, have had many comments I’ve been reading that stick in my craw. I have a hard time being unbiased on this issue but mostly, she is a still, technically, not a legal adult so I think people need to lay off and leave her alone. She did not choose to have a politician as a parent, her mother’s job has nothing to do with her situation. I hope it dies down soon, the scrutiny has to be incredibly difficult to bear, I feel very sorry for her to be going thru that part. As for being a teen mother, that is already challenging enough and I wish her the best with everything.
Thanks for this. I’ve had a lot of things go wrong lately that I could bitch about too. But now, I’m going to go and write a list of things that make me happy. Maybe it’ll pull me out of this funk.
And, I think you DO have the greatest son(s) ever!
I found this stuff that works WONDERS on dry feet! Email me to remind me to tell you the name, since I can’t remember it right now and I’m at work LOL!
I have an annoyance and a non-annoyance to share:
Non-annoyance: I saw The Dark Knight (again) over the weekend.
Annoyance: How could anyone think that movie is ok for a 5 year old to see? Ooops, another one: if you have to get up multiple times during the movie to pee or whatever, PLEASE sit on the end. Sheesh!
I get the same way sometimes. If the bitching doesn’t cleanse, it is time to look for the silver lining.
That photo of LilZ and AndyZ made me smile. The photo of NikkiZ made me laugh.
My work holiday cards are almost ready for the printer.
My husband was off today and went and bought me cheese. Wonderful stinky cheese.
I can either have macaroni and cheese for dinner or a chicken salad with shaved stinky cheese.
The color purple makes me smile.
I’m smiling over a nice cup of hot tea. And because, why the heck not? Self-pity is unattractive and doesn’t help. (I do believe in venting, but that means I say what is bothering me to a sympathetic audience and then let. it. go.)
I totally did this when I ran out at lunch today. I had to go to this parking lot that is so terribly designed and filled with such nasty people that it has actually made me cry. instead of letting them stress me out, today I tried to focus on the nice stuff. The lady sitting in her car listening to Ray Charles. The guy in the adorable green Mini-Cooper. the guy in the even more adorable SmartCar convertible which totally looked like a car from a Richard Scarry book. The fact that the weather was absolutely GORGEOUS. And you know what? it worked.
I too had an unplanned pregnancy and guess what? We have all turned out just fine.
Someone once said Unplanned, not unwanted. Pretty much sums it up for me.
The picture cracked my cold black heart. In a much better mood now, thank you!
Just an FYI; you can cure the “crappy bags” problem by doing what a growing number of people here in Seattle do… bring you own bags.
Being from the south, I’d never heard of the concept of bringing your own bag to a store. Matter of fact, in the rural area where my mother lives, if someone were to bring their own bags to the Piggly Wiggly, I think it could cause a major uproar if not a full-scale riot.
I have gotten into the habit as well, and I love it. Some store will even discount your groceries if you bring your own bags.
Also, since I only have five, it keeps my shopping to a reasonable level, even better than taking a list (for me anyway).
I bought my bags at Utne.com, but I’m sure you can get them at other sites as well.
Of course, then you have to remember to BRING them.
My Target has the crappy bags, too. And I have a feeling that they told their employees to cut down on using them because suddenly I walk out with 2 full bags instead of 7 half-empty ones. Good for the environment, bad for my bathroom trash can (because I use the Target bags for liners).
Good things from today? My baby smiled at the bumblebee I painted on his wall. GO ME!
I’ve been heading down this same path – complaining isn’t relieving the stress and negativity, it’s ADDING to it. I’ve been making a solid effort to change my outlook as well (although, can I just say a quick AMEN to the second item on your bitch list?).
I don’t like the thought of pretending everything is hunky-dory if it’s not, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad practice to try playing “the glad game.” I’m pretty sure that after a few days of forcing myself to be grateful or happy about the good things in life, it’ll be much easier to keep the negative things at bay.
At least, that’s what I’m telling myself.
You might check at your Target for reusable bags. I bought one for $1.49 at a Target. I shop at Wal-mart where I live and have about 10 of theirs. They are bigger and sturdier.
thanks for sharing the picture of NikkiZ Cute!!
Regarding reusable bags – I have them for every other store BUT Target (and yes, I’m fairly certain I could use them at Target – hehe) – but we re-use the Target bags for a billion other things. Diapers, lunches (not at the same time…ew), garbage cans etc. But that only works if they’re GOOD.
Luckily – LilZ’s school had a fund raiser selling reusable grocery bags, so if I have to give up on Target’s bags, I can use the ones we ordered from his school.
OMGosh! That picture of NikkiZ is so, so, so ADORABLE!
I am so disappointed that target went back to the crappy bags.
And just for the record, you can’t like Magenta. At All. TMobile owns the color magenta.
http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2007/11/04/beware-t-mobile-owns-the-color-magenta/
The whole thinking that just cuz I’m a girl I would automatically vote for a woman and not give it any more thought than that is the MOST annoying thing about this entire election. There, I said it.
That picture at the end is cute. I am happy this week is only a four day school week.
That picture is so cute. Again just what I needed. I haven’t paid too much attention to the whole VP thing. Was more concerned if my house had damage. Other than her saying that to leave her kids out of the campaign (hi you chose a public position. in which you are telling me if I can have kids or not, yeah…think not)
Anyone who’s been a normal 17yo girl knows who makes the choice to have sex and that accidents may happen. I don’t think Palin is a failure as a mother because of her near adult daughter is pregnant. I do question her on political issues.
The pictures on your blog usually make me smile as my boys are so OLD(19 and 17).
I am slightly embarrassed to admit the reason I don’t need to print out that premiere calendar… because I already MADE MY OWN with all the dates for the billion shows I watch. Sigh… I’m so excited!
Your oldest son totally makes me envy you – can you sent him here in a few years to train my son to be that cool?
Awesome picture of NikkiZ! Such a cutie.
That picture is the cutest I’ve ever seen. You should enter it in some sort of contest! It’s AWESOME!
Picture totally made me smile. Ha!
I’ll follow your lead. Being positive is what it is all about!
The worst thing about the Target bags is the workers fail to acknowledge their crappiness and load them down with 3 times as much as they hold. Wal_Mart recently reduced the plastic in their bags too, so they rip with one item in them. Agh. I think I need to focus on something positive as well.
My brother makes me laugh that hard too. Isn’t it awesome?
But being positive is not as FUNNY.
Okay, fine. What’s making me happy is knowing I have all the ingredients in the house for any one of half a dozen delicious bakedy things.
My child is making me smile. His belly laughs. The way he says “Screw crawling! I can roll anywhere 10 times faster!” The way he has learned to smile and nurse at the same time without letting milk dribble all down the both of us. The way he goes nuts whenever one of the dogs walks in the room now, and double nuts whenever they pay attention to him.
Lots of smiles here. Glad to have somewhere to share them. Thanks
It seems like EVERYONE has reduced their bags to those super-thin, crappy ones. I do not think that really counts towards “bitching” only because it is so dang annoying!
I also have the reusable bags and often forget they are in my van! HAH!
I am getting better though!
I totally could have written every word of this post. Well, except for the mini-van part……I am pregnant with my first, so I am not to the mini-van stage yet. Anyway, yesterday was the kind of day that made me want to beat my head against the wall. Today, I am just smiling……and it is confusing everybody at work…..which in turn, just makes me happier!