You know those little things in life that bother us? A co-workers unique laugh? The way your partner loads the dishwasher? People who don't pick up after their dog? Whatever you call them - pet peeve is the usual term - they are the little annoyances that grate on our nerves like fingernails on a blackboard. We know it's irrational to be bothered and yet we are completely irritated every time we come across someone doing them.
With the hope of having them irritate a little less the next time, I'd like to share a couple of mine. Please keep in mind these are in no particular order. They are all equal-opportunity irritants.
Sneezing. Like I said, completely irrational, I know. When someone sneezes it makes me crazy. When I sneeze it makes me crazy. When my husband sneezes his usual five or six sneezes in a row, it makes me crazy. I have no idea why, and I know there is nothing that can be done about a sneeze, but it is what it is.
Shuffling feet. Someone shuffling their feet is so annoying that I just want to run up to them and scream (like a drill sergeant) "pick up your feet!" I mean really. Is it for effect so everyone will look at them? Are they really that tired that they can't manage to lift their feet an inch off the ground when they walk? I just don't get it.
Smoking just outside the entrance of a building. You think you are doing us all a big favor by going outside to smoke your nasty cigarette but really, when you stand that close to either side of the door, we still have to walk through your haze of carcinogenic smoke. You might as well light up sitting with me at my desk for all the good you are actually doing.
Public grooming. This is a big one for me. Huge. If you are out in public, I don't want to see you combing your hair, clipping your fingernails (gag) or flossing your teeth. There are just some things that should be done in the privacy of your own home. In the bathroom. With the door shut and locked.
So there you have it. Just a few of the things that irritate me on a regular basis. I'm sure I could think of more but really, don't we all have better things to do?
Friday, February 10, 2012
Friday, January 27, 2012
Puppy Love?
Growing up I was always surrounded by dogs. We lived in Alaska and my parents, being the "when in Rome" types, actually had a sled dog team. Not for racing, just for fun. We had roughly 20 huskies, labs, and large-dog mutts in the "dog lot" at any given time, in addition to Cindy Beagle and Powder Puff, the Pomeranian, who lived in the house with us. Looking back it was a lot of fun but must have been crazy work for my parents. That's a lot of dog chow!
Once I grew up it was just a matter of time before I had a dog. College, roommates and non-pet-friendly apartment buildings are not conducive to having a dog, so once my husband and I moved out of the city, we decided it was time to add to our family. That's when the most adorable Cairn terrier came into our life. Duncan is just the sweetest, most easy-going dog ever. It was so much fun having a puppy around, playing with him, taking him to puppy kindergarten, watching him figure things out. He fits so well into our lives and is such a joy to have around that we thought it might be good if he had a sister. That's when Ruby joined our family and let me tell you, there have never been two more different dogs.
Either I completely forgot what having a puppy was like or Ruby is actually the devil. This dog is exhausting and has been a complete nightmare to train. Don't get me wrong, she's adorable. And really, what's better than a puppy who is always happy to see you when you get home? She's so wiggly and kissy that sometimes I think she's going to burst right out of her skin. She is just the complete opposite of Duncan with regard to personality and training. Maybe we thought she'd be easier to train since she has Duncan's lead to follow. Maybe we are just too old to deal with this much puppy energy. Maybe we forgot how long it actually took to fully train Duncan, which I suspect was really closer to a year than what we remember. Whatever the reason, Ruby will definitely be the last puppy we ever get. Even our vet thought we were crazy for getting a puppy, they are so much work. Thanks for mentioning that after the fact, Dr. Rich!
And now, in addition to all of the things puppies do, such as chewing on furniture, getting into the bathroom trash, eating house plants, we are dealing with an issue that is so disgusting I am loathe to even write the words. Ruby. Eats. Poop. Hers, Duncan's, poop from other dogs at the dog park, doesn't matter. We, on the other hand are completely revolted by this (as is Duncan) and are now on our third remedy which we hope will finally break her of this foul habit. We first tried a powder from the vet, For-bid, which when sprinkled on her food was supposed to make her poop taste bitter (because it's not gross enough already). Nothing. Next we tried sprinkling cayenne pepper on her poop to dissuade her from eating it. Not only did that not phase her, but when she was done, she actually licked up the excess pepper that was on the ground. Lovely. Now we are adding canned pineapple and pineapple juice to her food which is supposed to work like the For-bid, but in a slightly more tasty way. Oh, and not scolding her when she does this since scolding her makes her think she's not supposed to go to the bathroom at all. Any idea how hard it is not to yell at her for this? If the pineapple doesn't work, we will move on to canned pumpkin, broccoli and spinach, all of which are suppose to do the same thing. One of them has to work, right? If not, we may have to call in the Dog Whisperer and I would guess Cesar Millan does not come cheap!
I've heard of people who deal with pet issues and are finally just so exasperated they end up giving the animal back to where they got it. I don't understand this because as trying as all of this has been, Ruby is part of our family and we are already hopelessly in love with her. Giving her back is not an option. So we deal. And really, how can you not love such cute faces as these...
Once I grew up it was just a matter of time before I had a dog. College, roommates and non-pet-friendly apartment buildings are not conducive to having a dog, so once my husband and I moved out of the city, we decided it was time to add to our family. That's when the most adorable Cairn terrier came into our life. Duncan is just the sweetest, most easy-going dog ever. It was so much fun having a puppy around, playing with him, taking him to puppy kindergarten, watching him figure things out. He fits so well into our lives and is such a joy to have around that we thought it might be good if he had a sister. That's when Ruby joined our family and let me tell you, there have never been two more different dogs.
Either I completely forgot what having a puppy was like or Ruby is actually the devil. This dog is exhausting and has been a complete nightmare to train. Don't get me wrong, she's adorable. And really, what's better than a puppy who is always happy to see you when you get home? She's so wiggly and kissy that sometimes I think she's going to burst right out of her skin. She is just the complete opposite of Duncan with regard to personality and training. Maybe we thought she'd be easier to train since she has Duncan's lead to follow. Maybe we are just too old to deal with this much puppy energy. Maybe we forgot how long it actually took to fully train Duncan, which I suspect was really closer to a year than what we remember. Whatever the reason, Ruby will definitely be the last puppy we ever get. Even our vet thought we were crazy for getting a puppy, they are so much work. Thanks for mentioning that after the fact, Dr. Rich!
And now, in addition to all of the things puppies do, such as chewing on furniture, getting into the bathroom trash, eating house plants, we are dealing with an issue that is so disgusting I am loathe to even write the words. Ruby. Eats. Poop. Hers, Duncan's, poop from other dogs at the dog park, doesn't matter. We, on the other hand are completely revolted by this (as is Duncan) and are now on our third remedy which we hope will finally break her of this foul habit. We first tried a powder from the vet, For-bid, which when sprinkled on her food was supposed to make her poop taste bitter (because it's not gross enough already). Nothing. Next we tried sprinkling cayenne pepper on her poop to dissuade her from eating it. Not only did that not phase her, but when she was done, she actually licked up the excess pepper that was on the ground. Lovely. Now we are adding canned pineapple and pineapple juice to her food which is supposed to work like the For-bid, but in a slightly more tasty way. Oh, and not scolding her when she does this since scolding her makes her think she's not supposed to go to the bathroom at all. Any idea how hard it is not to yell at her for this? If the pineapple doesn't work, we will move on to canned pumpkin, broccoli and spinach, all of which are suppose to do the same thing. One of them has to work, right? If not, we may have to call in the Dog Whisperer and I would guess Cesar Millan does not come cheap!
I've heard of people who deal with pet issues and are finally just so exasperated they end up giving the animal back to where they got it. I don't understand this because as trying as all of this has been, Ruby is part of our family and we are already hopelessly in love with her. Giving her back is not an option. So we deal. And really, how can you not love such cute faces as these...
Friday, January 20, 2012
Would You Like Bread with your Butter?
I think we can all agree one's health is important. And if your lifestyle is causing you to experience health issues, especially if you are predisposed based on family history, then it's probably wise to take steps to change a few things. But does that mean having to completely give up all the delicious foods you love for baked chicken and steamed broccoli every night of your life? There is so much good food out there that it can be really hard to stay the course when you are attempting a healthy lifestyle.
It's no secret the majority of women in America have been on some sort of diet longer than not during their lifetime. I would guess I've probably lost and regained a couple hundred pounds starting at about age 11, over 30 years. That's a really long time to feel guilty about every piece of food I put in my mouth. Lately, though, I've been questioning exactly why I've been so obsessed with losing weight for the better part of my life. Yes, I have a history of heart disease in my family. Yes, I am overweight by clinical standards. And yes, I may have an unnatural attachment to mint chocolate chip ice cream. But I'm not sure any of those things have to do with constantly feeling the need to beat myself up because I had chips with my turkey sandwich instead of baby carrots.
The truth is being thin is preferred in our society. Most of us find it hard to let go of the idea that when we are thin, all of our problems will be gone and we will finally be accepted for who we really are instead of how we believe people perceive us - as unmotivated couch potatoes who eat donut burgers three times a day (sorry, Paula). But you know what I've recently realized? Being thin doesn't make your problems go away or make you a better person. If you are a mean fat person, chances are you're still going to be mean once you become thin. And if you don't make enough money at your job, being a size two isn't all of the sudden going to give you more cash in your paycheck. Unless, of course, you get a new job modeling size two jeans.
Now, I'm not advocating we all throw caution and common sense to the wind and start eating the foods Paula Deen cooks. I just think we need to be realistic about how we live and start being kind to ourselves. We need to stop worrying about what we think others think of us (because it's probably not even close to what they actually see) and be smart about the yummy foods that cross our paths every now and again. Enjoying everything in moderation is a good rule to live by. It's not always easy in practice, but as my parents always said, as long as you do your best, that's what matters.
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