What really irks me

All of this week’s writing prompts from Mama Kat seemed like a lot of fun, so I had a hard time narrowing it down. I really wanted to write about waking up with amnesia in an igloo with four dollars, a rock and a toothbrush, but after much thought, decided my creative juices just aren’t flowing strong enough today.

So instead, I will share 10 of my absolute worst pet peeves:

1. The feel of cotton balls — Okay, I don’t know if this is a pet peeve, or more like a really strange aversion, but I HATE the way cotton balls feel. I know it sounds weird, but just thinking about it makes my skin crawl. There’s something about the texture that makes the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up. And it squeaks. Have you ever heard it? Ahhg…I’ve never met anyone else who is as freaked out about cotton as I am! Hey, don’t judge! I’m not as psycho as I sound.
   
2. The sound of grinding teeth — Kevin grinds his teeth sometimes and it drives me nuts. We’ll be sitting there watching TV and I'll hear him start. In my head I see the damage he’s doing to his molars and I cringe.
   
3. Traffic — I touched on this one in my last blog. I HATE IT. I have often been told that patience is not my strongest quality. When I want to go somewhere, I want to go. Not sit still for twenty minutes on the interstate or get stuck behind someone driving 25 in a 55.
   
4. Prejudice — I know this a big jump from traffic, grinding teeth and cotton balls, but on a very serious note, I don’t understand how you can judge someone based on your own preconceptions. All-in-all, we’re not that different. We all want to be healthy, happy and loved. People can be so cruel.
   
5. Ignorance — Now, an ignorant person is not the same as an unintelligent person. Some people learn on a different curve. I understand that. What I don’t understand is someone who never tries to learn; someone who walks around blind to everything but their own interests. That fires me up!
   
6. Dog hair — Again, I LOVE Toby. But enough with the shedding already!! Pretty, chocolate-brown sheets, meet a barrage of white dog hair! AHG! Last time I went to see Dr. Jones (the vet), he informed me that because Toby is a terrier mix, he will probably shed year-round. Something to do with him being hyperactive. (No…not Toby! Hyper? You don’t say.)
   
7. The alarm clock — Enough said.
   
8. “Oh my gosh, guess what? Oh, nevermind, I shouldn’t tell you.” — DO NOT DO THIS (or any variation of this)!! It will drive me up the wall. Don’t start a story or a statement then decide not to tell me. It’s not in your best interest. I will hound you non-stop until you are so annoyed you tell me whatever it was you almost said to start with.
   
9. Commercials that get REALLY loud — You ever been watching TV and suddenly been deafened by the volume of some local commercial? It’s annoying. In my advertising class in college, I learned that they do it on purpose, to catch your attention. Well, guess what? It worked. And now I don’t want whatever you’re selling because you just made me spill my drink everywhere.
   
10. Talking through movies — If I’m watching something I’ve never seen and someone near me is blabbering on about something, it ticks me off. For some reason I get obsessive about catching every last syllable of a movie or TV show, like some key word or phrase is going to be missed, causing me to not get the full experience. I use the rewind button like no one’s business. Sometimes I’ll watch one scene five times if I feel like I missed something. I know, I have a problem. But I’m admitting it. I hear that’s the first step.
    
    I know most of my pet peeves are trivial, but I guess that’s the point. They’re the little things that get under my skin and drive me crazy. And for all of you that know me: you better not start rubbing cotton balls in my face or saying, “Oh, nevermind!” just to get a rise out of me! Spitefulness is one of my unlisted pet peeves. Just remember that! :)