Dispatches and some pet peeves

I had this plan of how I was going to write this thoughtful post that I’ve been mulling for a few days, but then, I got to work. And got annoyed. And felt the need to return to “Dispatches” and relieve some frustration. I hope you don’t mind that much. . . . oh, well. You can do whatever you want!

•Pet peeve/frustration #1: Tailgating. OK, I’m sure that I’ve been guilty of this, because sometimes, even though I know it’s not necessarily good driving, safe, or nice, I follow very closely to the person in front of me if I think they’re driving insanely and stupidly slowly. So I really have no right to get upset with tailgaters, right? Yes, I know. I know! But today, the annoyance came from the people who insisted on driving breakneck speeds inches from my back bumper when I had my turn signal on and was applying my brakes to make a turn. If I’m giving you all the signals that I am turning, I really think you could back off a bit. Really. Especially when I’m turning into the parking garage at work at 6:58 a.m. Where in the world are you in a hurry to get to? WHERE?!

• Pet peeve/frustration #2: The department fridge at work. Someone, years ago decided it would be smart to get a dorm-sized fridge for our entire department (then some 40+ people) to share. Obviously, this quickly proved inadequate. So, a few years ago a second dorm-sized fridge was purchased and the two sat happily side-by-side in the break room (Juan Valdez room). Then one of them bit it. Totally died. Unusable. But instead of fixing it, buying a new one, or, you know, dumping both of the tiny fridges and getting a larger one, the powers that be have just left the broken one in the break room. With a big sign NOT to use it or plug it in or anything. And now, everyone, all 30+ of us, use one tiny dorm-sized fridge without a true freezer (a problem for the coworkers who bring frozen Lean Cuisines every day). And some people seem to think that the department fridge is their own personal storage for all kinds of things. There’s a container of Land O’ Lakes spreadable butter that’s been there for months, containers of lunch meat, condiments, forgotten sodas and leftovers from restaurants—well, you get the picture. It’s incredibly hard to find space to put your measly lunch for the day in a fridge that is already stuffed full! ACK!

• Pet peeve/frustration #3: The coffeemaker in said break room has been broken for about two years. Has it been removed, repaired, or trashed? Nope! Still there, taking up counter space with a sign that says “Out of Order until Further Notice.” I sometimes want to deface said sign! Can we add a car up on blocks out by the elevators?

• In other more Dispatch-worthy news, I watched a little of the CMT awards for some reason last night. CMT bleeped some girl who sang the word “ho,” which actually made me laugh pretty hard. Also, Jennifer Nettles looked strange and her dress did weird things (not good things) to her. (I’m also of the opinion that she can’t sing, but it seems America does not agree with me, since she was accepting an award when I was mocking her dress. I really am a terrible person.)

• The Caffeine Experiment of 2009 is still working well. I actually thought about it for awhile yesterday and realized how much caffeine I had been ingesting without thinking about it. So, I’m cutting back and definitely no more after 7 p.m. Unless I’m prepared to deal with the circumstances. I am 30 years old, people. I can deal with the consequences of my choices. Sometimes.

• Pet peeve/frustration #4: Why can’t there be some standardization to the sizing of women’s clothing? I mean, really! I’m wearing a skirt that I bought awhile back that I believe is a size 6 or maybe even a 4. It fits. I also have size 8 clothes that fit just as well. It just depends on the brand, the cut, and sometimes, the day. But really, why is there such a huge range in women’s clothing? Why can’t the freaking sizes just be the same across all brands, stores, and designers? Why do we have to make it confusing?! And while we’re on the topic, why do bridesmaid’s dresses run so small? Is it just so you can dig at our self-esteem on a day when we’re supposed to feel moderately beautiful?

• And finally, pet peeve/frustration #5: Dear Lightning 100, please don’t play that Pete Yorn song again. I will drive over to Marathon Village and punch you in the face.