This is why i avoid office parties as much as i can.  the larger the group the more the likelihood that you will hear the same jokes approaches 1.

 

Oh-ho-ho...you guys are trying to lose weight, but darn those cookies.  Uh-oh...Bill is going for seconds.  etc...etc.

 

at my old job i'd typically stick my head in for whatever little talk our management would give and then go back to my desk without anything.  I never understood how people that had a good lunch and snacked all day could become so ravenous when some sort of cake or muffins or cookies appeared.

 

I avoided after-hours events with co-workers whenever possible, but the annual off-site management dinner was mandatory. The free bar opened at 5:30, a long, windy speech by a visiting corporate bigwig at started at 7:00, and the meal was served after the speech. Apparently not everyone understood why they plied us with free booze on empty stomachs

 

Usually someone had to be escorted out and taken home, and I watched/listened to a purchasing manager heckle a corporate VP during the VP's presentation. Bye, bye, career!

 

The bar opened again during the meal, and afterward people could stay, drink, socialize, play cards, and make fools of themselves as long as they liked before driving home drunk. Corporate responsiblity at its best!

Mindless office banter I don't mind so much, being both an initiator and participant on many an occasion (it's a good time waster), but office parties are the worst (!), especially the one at Christmas or the much dreaded summer picnic that's supposed to promote "team spirit" or some such nonsense. Any planned activity that promotes forced "fun" is usually anything but.

There's nothing like penciling "Fun" in on your schedule.

Resisted the brownies all day, even when they shopped the last one around. Stopped and got McDonalds for dinner. Shameful. Might as well drink all of the beer in the fridge tonight.

 

 

I avoided after-hours events with co-workers whenever possible.

 

 

Ahh but when you don't go to those after work get togethers and bullsh*t "blow smoke up other peoples a** parties" the company big shots view you as not being part of the team.

I value my free time and when quitting time rolls around I'm one of the first ones out of the office.

We are told we HAVE to go to things like that.  If there is some kind of charity event, some "fun" fundraiser, our boss will call from the event and hiss, "you guys better get down here NOW and make an appearance."  Nice.

 

We had to actually pay to go to a breakfast a few months that we didn't want to go to for a charity most of us had chosen not to support, or at the very least were too busy to take off during work hours to go to because he called us from there and made us come to it.  The boss paid us back out of his pocket later, and told us we should have chosen to go as it's an important charity to management.  Never mind what's important to US, right?

You guys are depressing me.... We do nothing in my office, good or bad.

We had to actually pay to go to a breakfast a few months that we didn't want to go to for a charity most of us had chosen not to support, or at the very least were too busy to take off during work hours to go to because he called us from there and made us come to it.

 

That is terrible. 

 

This reminds me of another annoyance we had when traveling to Portland.  We were out exploring the city by ourselves, and someone stopped us on the street to ask to donate to some organization that helps children.  We had never heard of this particular organization, and we're not going to just hand money to a stranger on the street.  We declined and told him that we already have our charities that we support.  This stranger then proceeded to tell us that whatever we are currently giving is not enough.  That really turned me off.  This guy had never met us, and he's already criticizing us without knowing us. 

Your first appraisal probably was right. The legit charities don't pressure, and their people have some kind of credentials. Further, they collect donations through businesses and direct mail, and rarely just approach strangers on the street. Probably a scammer or panhandler.

[*]Politicians who invite you to a birthday party, disguised as a $5000 fund raiser.  I'm not a NYC resident.  Why would I go to that crap?!

[*]Real estate agents who show you units that you love, but are way out of your price range!

[*]Politicians who invite you to a birthday party, disguised as a $5000 fund raiser.  I'm not a NYC resident.  Why would I go to that crap?!

[*]Real estate agents who show you units that you love, but are way out of your price range!

I didn't think anything was out of your price range! lol

[*]Politicians who invite you to a birthday party, disguised as a $5000 fund raiser.  I'm not a NYC resident.  Why would I go to that crap?!

[*]Real estate agents who show you units that you love, but are way out of your price range!

I didn't think anything was out of your price range! lol

 

LOL.  There are some things I want, that I know I cannot afford.  This apartment is e'fin gorgeous! but the maintenance fee is 8k a month.  MTS has shoes to buy.

When forumers come to this board, of all places, open up a big development thread and ask - "anything new? any updates?"

 

 

Agreed.  Super annoying!

 

EXHIBIT A

any recent news??

^ That reminds me of another pet peeve - people criticizing what I eat.  I feel like telling them to just mind their own business. 

^I can't stand the people that are super nosy about your lunch at the microwave.  "Oh, ho, what have you got there? Smells pretty good! What are we having today?"  I just feel like whirling around with a giant punch.

The mention of microwaves reminded me of the microwaves in the cafeteria, and that reminded me of the cafeteria, and that reminded me of a bunch of annoyances.

 

Approaching the serving line was more dangerous than trying to cross an expressway on foot. Look both ways, because the same super-sized folks from payment-processing, who ceaselessly complained about their ineffective diets while loading up at the ever-present tables full of birthday/anniversary/new-grandshild/retirement treats in their work area, would head for the food with a determination that, well, you'd best not get in their way! They outweighed me by at least two to one, and I literally was crowded aside on two occasions.

 

Then there were the two microwaves for use by people who brought their lunches. One was always broken, and there were a couple of people who would put an entree in a microwave, set the timer, and then go to round up a salad, dessert, coffee, etc. and not get back until long after the bell had rung, while others waited timidly. Finally one day I took an abandoned entrees out after it and finished, and set it on the counter so I could put my food in. The woman came back, saw what I had done, and went ballistic; "Don't you ever touch my food again!" Dammit, lady, it's in Tupperware and still covered with Saran Wrap, and from the smell of it, there's nothing I could do that would hurt it!

 

A couple of days later, I got the chance again. She came back, saw her entree on the counter and saw me there waiting for my food to finish heating. She took a deep breath and got ready to start in on me, and I just gave her my "Go ahead. Make my day" look. She grabbed her Tupperware and stormed away, and I never encountered her again. Maybe she changed her lunch break, or found another microwave in one of the offices.

 

And then there are the ones who will fill their coffee cup from the urn or coffee machine and stand right in front of it blocking access while a line forms, as they add creamer, stir thoroughly, add some sugar, stir some more, taste, add more sugar, stir some more, just as if they were in their kitchen at home alone. I never could figure out a way to mess with them, because the worst offender was a great big guy and most of the aggrieved were too mild-mannered to join me in an angry mob.

[*]Politicians who invite you to a birthday party, disguised as a $5000 fund raiser.  I'm not a NYC resident.  Why would I go to that crap?!

[*]Real estate agents who show you units that you love, but are way out of your price range!

 

Not feeling you on those two. :)

 

Rob's battle to use the microwave, I feel his pain....If I do have to use the microwave for lunch, I take lunch at an odd time so I don't have to wait....

We're looking at hiring a painter for our house, we contacted a few painters and got a few quotes.

 

When one of the guys came out he was talking about all sorts of things that were irrelevant to the job.  I don't care that you steal DirecTV.  I don't care that you've been married 3 times and now live on a house boat.

 

But, the biggest annoyance was when he was telling me about some fried chicken joint he likes...this guy stops mid-sentence, looks me up and down and says "You're like me, you like to eat."

 

Excuse me?

What is it with these people?  When my mom was interviewing a painter for a job inside her home, he told her she "needed a man around to help out with the harder chores."  Serioulsly?  No quicker way to irritate my mother than this, I think.  I would have told him I know what he needs too, it's a ticket on the clue train and get the F out of my house.

Painters. They no longer have inhaling fumes as an excuse.

We had our condo painted a few years ago, and we had a few bids.  bfwissel called and left a message with one of the painters that a friend recommended, and it took about two weeks for the painter to return the call.  We set up a time for the painter to come over and look at our condo.  The guy never showed up, and he called eight days later to apologize.  Needless to say, we didn't bother calling him back to set up another time with him.

Wow, sounds like a field where it would be pretty easy to stand out if you just had a modicum of customer service and manners.

yeah, i imagine that most people will gladly pay a little more for some professionalism.

Ugh, if we're griping about painters, I'd caution anyone getting bids to steer clear of College Pro. I hired them a few years ago, and the kid came out and gave me a great quote, and outlined the job well. Was going to power wash, scrape and then brush paint the whole house. Great.

 

Unfortunately, the kid completely underestimated how long it would take, and it was the end of the summer. Suddenly he's looking at having two other jobs, and having to go back to school, and he's not even halfway done with my house. Now he tries to start cutting corners...not scraping certain areas where he thought I wouldn't look, not putting more than a primer coat on, etc. There were sections where I had to have him re-scrape a whole section, and re-paint.

 

The whole time, he's complaining to me about how he has to get back to school next week, and how he's got these other jobs he's got to complete and blah blah blah. Hey, not my problem kid (well, except it IS my problem, because I need this job done)

 

One year later, some of my trim is already flaking. I had to have them come out again and fix it (part of the warranty).

 

Anyway, the wrap up is, if you're going to use these guys, watch them like a hawk, and book them in the early part of the summer.

 

Or better yet, don't use them, and hire a pro.

At least you have a warranty.

 

^ That reminds me of another pet peeve - people criticizing what I eat.  I feel like telling them to just mind their own business. 

 

^I can't stand the people that are super nosy about your lunch at the microwave.  "Oh, ho, what have you got there? Smells pretty good! What are we having today?"  I just feel like whirling around with a giant punch.

 

Ahhhh, pregnancy and motherhood!  Stay out of their way guys!

 

Actually, I receive very few (if any) comments on what I eat now that I'm pregnant. 

 

The taste of mustard and/or mayo literally makes my stomach turn.  So, I will eat sandwiches without any of that stuff on it.  I'll get comments from people such as "How can you eat like that?"  Depending on my mood, sometimes I've replied with "How do you eat it with that stuff on it?" 

I really didn't have any of those weird cravings they talk about.  I got hungry for certain foods, but they weren't weird.  I did however have a lot of food aversions.  I became almost a complete vegetarian in some respects because all meat just smelled and tasted so bad to me, but that was more in the 2nd half of the pregnancy.  What was extremely unusual to me was that I craved a variety of fast food.  I don't eat fast food and haven't for years, and once you quit eating it, your taste buds usually change so that it doesn't taste good anymore if you DO eat it, so it was extremely odd to be driving through burger king and getting a whopper or going to dairy queen for a banana split.  After the pregnancy was over, I went back to hating the taste of fast food. 

 

For awhile, mr. RNR had to eat his meals in a separate room or at least stack up books so that I couldn't see his food as I thought it was so gross to be digging into a piece of meatloaf or whatever.

I'm so glad I dont have to live thru that again.  I dont think I could live with a pregnant woman EVER again.

 

^ That reminds me of another pet peeve - people criticizing what I eat.  I feel like telling them to just mind their own business. 

 

^I can't stand the people that are super nosy about your lunch at the microwave.  "Oh, ho, what have you got there? Smells pretty good! What are we having today?"  I just feel like whirling around with a giant punch.

 

Ahhhh, pregnancy and motherhood!  Stay out of their way guys!

 

Actually, I receive very few (if any) comments on what I eat now that I'm pregnant. 

 

The taste of mustard and/or mayo literally makes my stomach turn.  So, I will eat sandwiches without any of that stuff on it.  I'll get comments from people such as "How can you eat like that?"  Depending on my mood, sometimes I've replied with "How do you eat it with that stuff on it?" 

 

I don't know why this irks me so much, when people ask what I'm eating for lunch. But I find I have to suppress what would otherwise be Joe Pesci / Goodfellas reaction every time I get the question. It doesn't just irritate me, it outright angers me.

"Whatcha got there?? Hmmm??"

"Baby seals....What the F--K do you care what I'm eating for lunch, huh?? Why is my lunch of interest to you. Does my lunch amuse you?? Is my lunch here to entertain you?"

 

Oh well. Luckily I'm able to internalize said rage, along with everything else that angers me. Serenity now! That's the healthiest way to deal with it.....

 

 

I really didn't have any of those weird cravings they talk about. I got hungry for certain foods, but they weren't weird. I did however have a lot of food aversions.

 

I'm in the same boat.  Nothing unusual, but I am eating Chipotle at least 5 times a week (I normally try to limit it to 1-2 times per week).  It just tastes so good.  :)  I'm also drinking more orange juice than I normally do.  Pork and BBQ sauce no longer taste good, and I haven't been big on sweets.  I would rather have a big bowl of fruit salad instead of a slice of cheesecake.  The most surprising aversion I've developed is with coffee.  Before pregnancy, I was a coffee addict.  I drank at least 32 onces a day (half caf, half decaf).  I loved the taste of it.  I had figured that I would switch to decaf, but now I can't even stand the taste of it.  The strange thing is that I miss it, but I know I don't like it now.  My aversion developed around the same time my Starbucks gold card arrived in the mail.  I told the owner of one of the local coffee shops downtown about my aversion.  I wanted them to know that I'm not mad at them.

OMG I drank SO much orange juice, that was crazy!  I had a period in the 1st trimester where I couldn't get enough M&Ms, but other than that, not so much on the sweets.

 

I think the coffee aversion is nature at play.  I had it too, but I never completely gave it up.  I had 1 cup of decaf every day the first tri, then switched to half caf and had 1 cup of that every day after that.  I am still drinking half caf, and it's Desperation Coffee (free office coffee) so I know it's probably not that strong, which is good.  I had a short cup of real starbucks at the mall about a month ago and was so jittery I felt like I had done a few lines of coke. 

 

I also had strong cravings for hard liquor, which was really weird as I don't drink a lot of straight hard liquor anymore.  I wanted a glass of whiskey so bad, it was nuts.  In the third tri, I had a few sips of mr. RNR's margarita when going out for mexican and it was like the best thing I'd ever had.

 

How many weeks are you now?

25 weeks now.  As much as I miss the coffee, I am grateful that I don't feel the urge to consume huge amounts of caffeine.  I definitely think it's nature at play.  It's a good thing I had already started decreasing the caffeine.  I would have gone through some major withdrawl otherwise.

 

It's unfair to have a craving for something you aren't supposed to have.  :( I do like beer, and for a long time I didn't have any taste for it.  I was happy.  Then over a week ago we went to an opening for a bar, and they have a nice patio.  I suddenly started missing beer.  I'm sure a few sips wouldn't hurt, but I'm afraid to even try.  I look forward to sitting outdoors in August with a nice cold beer.  :)

A few sips wouldn't hurt, for sure.  I ate feta!  I figured no way did my Greek ancestors completely do without feta while they were PG, that's just overkill.  I did get it from the grocery store though, as I know that's pasteruized, instead of from the market that imports it from greece where I usually buy it.  Man I miss cheese.  Sorry for straying off topic.

Good point.  I also wonder if Japanese women completely give up sushi when they are PG.

I really didn't have any of those weird cravings they talk about. I got hungry for certain foods, but they weren't weird. I did however have a lot of food aversions.

 

I'm in the same boat. Nothing unusual, but I am eating Chipotle at least 5 times a week (I normally try to limit it to 1-2 times per week). It just tastes so good. :) I'm also drinking more orange juice than I normally do. Pork and BBQ sauce no longer taste good, and I haven't been big on sweets. I would rather have a big bowl of fruit salad instead of a slice of cheesecake.   The most surprising aversion I've developed is with coffee. Before pregnancy, I was a coffee addict. I drank at least 32 onces a day (half caf, half decaf). I loved the taste of it. I had figured that I would switch to decaf, but now I can't even stand the taste of it. The strange thing is that I miss it, but I know I don't like it now. My aversion developed around the same time my Starbucks gold card arrived in the mail. I told the owner of one of the local coffee shops downtown about my aversion. I wanted them to know that I'm not mad at them.

 

You sound identical to my wife when she was preganant once.  Tons of fruit salad, chipoltle, and did not want coffee anymore. 

 

In any way, does something like a hot pocket or calzone make you queezy? 

 

In any event, I believe those aversions and cravings were with a girl.

 

Anyhow, this is way off topic, and should be discussed in the parents and families section.

 

Stll, my biggest pet peeve of all time is cans with tabs so you don't have to use can openers.  I hate them, they cut my fingers, and can openers are not hard to use.  I know I have said it before, but they are really annoying. 

Really?  My pet peeve is cans without tabs cause I get spoiled by those that do have tabs!

I love the tab cans as well, allows me to bring things to work or on a picnic without having to also bring an opener.

It's unfair to have a craving for something you aren't supposed to have. :( I do like beer, and for a long time I didn't have any taste for it. I was happy. Then over a week ago we went to an opening for a bar, and they have a nice patio. I suddenly started missing beer. I'm sure a few sips wouldn't hurt, but I'm afraid to even try. I look forward to sitting outdoors in August with a nice cold beer. :)

 

At 25 weeks, one beer every once in a while isn't going to hurt. If you consider that a beer is approx 5% alcohol, a 12 oz bottle would only contain a bit more than 1/2 ounce. Go ahead and enjoy one.

 

I agree that one every once in a while probably won't hurt.  My bigger fear is that I'll want more than one.  ;)

I hate the cans with tabs.  I'd rather use the cap opener.  I end up cutting myself or spilling the contents when I use the tabs.

I prefer the tabs.

Clevelanders using the AC in the car when it is 65 and sunny outside. These are the same people that whine all winter long because it is so cold out. So the first thing they do when we get a nice warm day..... roll up the windows and turn on the AC.

 

We need a "Face Palm" smiley.

 

I think a LOT of clevelanders just want really moderate temps all year long and we just have weather that is far, far from that.  I know with a baby in the back seat or freshly applied makeup on your face, 65 and very sunny makes AC a requirement.  But on the way home (when makeup no longer matters) or if driving alone, you bet I roll the windows down, anything over 60 degrees.  I hate AC.  We have never used it at home.

Moderate temps all year long?  How boring!  I like our weather.  Sure, it would be ideal if winter were about a month shorter and summer a month longer, but I'll take four distinct seasons over constant year-round temperatures any day.

I'd love moderate temps all year long.  I don't mean the SAME temps, I just mean only slightly colder in the winter (sweater, light jacket) and not so hot in the summer that you can't go for a run.  Where in the country would this be?  I want to move there.

Clevelanders using the AC in the car when it is 65 and sunny outside. These are the same people that whine all winter long because it is so cold out. So the first thing they do when we get a nice warm day..... roll up the windows and turn on the AC.

 

We need a "Face Palm" smiley.

 

 

not exactly what you request...but appropriate!

RnR is this the weather you are looking for? Monthly averages for this mystery city.

 

    High  Low Mean

Jan 47°F 36°F 41°F

Feb 51°F 37°F 44°F 

Mar 55°F 39°F 47°F 

Apr 59°F 43°F 51°F 

May 65°F 48°F 57°F 

Jun 70°F 53°F 61°F 

Jul 75°F 56°F 66°F 

Aug 75°F 57°F 66°F 

Sep 70°F 53°F 61°F

Oct 60°F 46°F 53°F

Nov 52°F 40°F 46°F

Dec 47°F 36°F 41°F

 

pretty darn close. Would like to see it a little hotter in the summer but I could definitely live with that!  Where is it?

Seattle. It is actually warmer in the summer than San Fran. Of course it rains all the time though. The sound gives it a barrier that the other pacific costal cities don't have. 

Here's one that warmer in the summer but not too hot:

 

Jan  33°F  19°F  26°F

Feb 36°F 21°F 29°F

Mar 46°F 29°F 38°F

Apr 57°F 38°F 48°F

May 69°F 48°F 59°F

Jun 77°F 58°F 68°F

Jul 81°F 62°F 72°F

Aug 79°F 61°F 70°F

Sep 72°F 54°F 63°F

Oct 61°F 44°F 52°F

Nov  49°F  35°F  42°F

Dec 37°F 25°F 31°F

J40J.

 

My first guess would be Cleveland.