Birthday Blues

I recently had what is considered a milestone birthday. I would like to know why I can’t celebrate my birthday without people reminding me of how old I am getting and how my life is passing me by. Do you think I don’t know that? And is it any of your business anyway what my marital status, child status, career status, or any other status is? Why do people have this urge to tell others what to do all the time? Or is it just the people I know?

--Curly

‘Tisn’t the Season

It isn’t even Halloween yet and once again the Christmas decorations and gifts are already out in stores. Restaurants have been advertising Christmas and New Year’s dinners since late September! What is going on? Can’t we enjoy one season without constantly being reminded of the future?

--Curly

Poor Helpless Women!

I am so tired of people assuming that we women are helpless and unable to handle things. If I am alone, men frequently offer assistance with various things. Sometimes that means helping me with my suitcase, if I am travelling, or giving me directions, if I have stopped walking or driving, but this sort of attention comes in many forms. I don’t notice men helping other men, so it seems to me that they assume that women are more incapable. And I find that annoying.

--Curly

Long Time, No Rant

Long time, no rant. That doesn't mean I'm not peeved, however! I'm always peeved, but I've had a lot of things going on lately, including travel, a major move, and illness. I promise to rant and rave as usual again soon.

--Curly

Lock Block

I have posted some bicycle peeves before, and now I’m back with another one. Why do so few buildings have places where you can lock your bike? Biking is good for the environment and for people’s health, so we should be encouraged to use our bikes when possible. However, it is not easy to bike if you have no place to safely store your wheels while you are attending meetings or doing shopping.

--Curly

Sans Baby

I have posted before about people assuming that all women want to have a baby. Now, almost two years later, I am still peeved about this. The reason my annoyance is not abating is because people won’t stop telling me that my life is not going to be complete without a child.

First of all, it’s none of your damn business. Secondly, you don’t know enough about me or my life to know what will make my life complete.

I’m happy for you if you wanted a child and then had one. But don’t assume that having a child is for everyone.

--Curly

Wash Hands Before Returning to Life

Often, when I am in a public bathroom, I see people who finish in the stall, then simply leave. In other words, they don’t wash their hands. I don’t understand how people can use the toilet and not want to wash their hands afterwards. Ugh!

--Curly

How to Ensure That I Won't Promote Your Site, Book, Business, Etc.

I frequently receive e-mails from writers who'd like me to promote their books, services, courses, Web sites, etc. on my own blog or in my newsletter. One of these requests arrived today. Here are just a couple of reasons why I'm not likely to follow through on the writer's suggestion that her information merits a mention:

1) The subjects she covers in her books/courses (all of which cost good money--tell me about a giveaway or a scholarship and I'm much more interested) are only tangentially related to the material my readers expect me to cover.

2) The links she provided in her initial e-mail to me did not take me directly to the materials she thought I should promote for her. She referred me instead to bigger, not particularly well-organized Web sites where I could not locate two of the three items she had highlighted.

3) When I responded to her e-mail noting that I do not promote materials I have not yet seen myself (this would be her hint to offer me review copies), and telling her about my difficulty locating items on the Web, she wrote back--no salutation--telling me that there shouldn't be any problem with the links, because they work for her. So I had to compose another message re-explaining that the links worked, but did not take me directly to the materials she wanted me to know about.

I think it's pretty safe to say that I won't be promoting this author or her work anytime soon.

--Prunella Peeve

Road Warriors

I am a bicyclist and I have lots of bicycle-related peeves. One is the lack of bicycle paths. Pedestrians and drivers alike complain about bicycles taking up space on the roads. Well, we wouldn’t need to take up pedestrians’ walkways and drivers’ lanes if only there were bicycle paths. Some countries have this and it makes it much easier for people to do the environmentally friendly and healthy thing, i.e. to bicycle without getting in the way of others. It doesn’t seem like it would be all that hard to create such paths elsewhere and it would benefit us all.

--Curly

Speak Differently For Me

I don’t understand this habit of adding the phrase “for me” to requests or questions. The dentist has said to me, “Open your mouth wide for me.” The doctor has said, “Take off your shirt for me.” A waiter has said, “Please move that plate for me.” When returning a car to the car-rental place, the receptionist asked me, “Did you fill up the tank for me?” And so on. I may be facilitating something for the person, but I don’t feel like I am really doing it “for” them. It just seems like more false politeness. Stop using this phrase. Please? For me?

--Curly