Life | Piss and Moan

Conflicted

Posted on January 15, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Michiel Alleman on Pexels.com

There are a few things in life that I just have a love/hate relationship with. I love them and yet hate them at the same time. Those two emotions don’t usually go together and often are in regard to different things, but today (well, really the last several days) I am conflicted because of weather conditions.

In particular, snow.

I love snow. I love the peacefulness and quiet as the snow falls. There is comfort in that. The blanket is leaves, at least for a while, causes he world to slow down or pause. A stillness ensues. I love the look of snow on the landscape – there is beauty in it! Sun glistening off freshly fallen snow. White mountains and trees framed by bright blue sky is stunning. Anyway, you get the picture. There are aspects of snow that I love. As a kid, I liked playing in it.

But, on the other hand, I hate snow. It’s tough to drive in. I can do it, but I don’t like it. I would just rather not, but when necessary I can do it with relative ease. I especially don’t like other people driving in it! People are idiots most of the time, so adding slippery white stuff as an ingredient to travel just makes for trouble. Snow is cold. I know that is an obvious statement, but I don’t like being cold. It is just miserable. I don’t particularly like that snow has to be removed (sometimes multiple times) from the sidewalk and driveway. That can be hard work! No, like REALLY hard work. As an adult, I don’t enjoy playing in it. Not even a little.

I am sure there are more things I love and hate, but those are the ones off the top of my head. So, how can I be so conflicted on this? “Why?” is maybe a better question. But, I don’t really wish to know. It just is what it is.

So, there you have it. One item I am conflicted on. There are many more, but let’s just put this out there since that is on the forefront of my mind as we deal with snow and ice up here in the upper left corner (Pacific Northwest) of the US.

Do you have something you are conflicted with? A love/hate relationship, so to speak?

Between the lines

Posted on January 14, 2020 by backuphill

Sometimes, things going unsaid is best.

Then there are other times where being blunt is the only solution, awkward or not.

And then there are those times where trying to be tactful sometimes works and sometimes doesn’t.

Anyone feel me on this?

Just saying…

Glitter

Posted on January 13, 2020 by backuphill

Maybe this is a weird topic, maybe it isn’t. I don’t have a lot to say about it. I may have even talked about it already on the ol’ blog, but I was reminded again this weekend…

I hate it. With passion.

It is evil.

If ever there was someone who deserved to be drawn and quartered, it would be the inventor of glitter. I don’t even have to look up who invented it because I don’t care. 1000 cursed deaths upon whomever it is.

I can’t even continue writing this post because it upsets me so much.

I’ll be back tomorrow with something less traumatizing. I apologize if this triggered something for you.

Placation

Posted on January 10, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

I am not sure if that is the right word or not. Generally, I am not at a loss for words but the definition for placation kind of fits but doesn’t at the same time.

The definition means that there is some sort of concession or giving of ground. But what if that isn’t really the case? What if someone has just told you something, like “Let’s discuss this at a later date,” but has not intention of actually following through with their statement. They just said it to shut you up.

Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, I don’t like being treated that way either. Whatever word is appropriate to be used for that situation. Appeasement? Maybe, but again it implies that something was given up by the other party. Concession? No, that’s not it. Patronize? Yeah, maybe that’s it.

I don’t know. I just know I don’t like being treated like that.

Opinions – I want none of them

Posted on January 8, 2020 by backuphill

Opinions aren’t news. They should not be represented as news. And they sure as hell don’t belong in a “news feed.” Four of the five articles you are suggesting I read are opinion pieces – editorial, NOT news. This type of journalism doesn’t belong anywhere near the front page of a newspaper, let alone a news feed.

If I wanted someone’s opinion, I would seek it out. I don’t need it fed to me.

Dammit, Google, your “news feed” is really pissing me off, and I don’t mean the Piss & Moan kind of pissed off. That kind of pissed off is just a general, “Yeah, I’m irritated about it but not enough to do anything about it” but this crap right here, this is pushing me over the edge to something more. I’ve talked about problems with Goggle’s news feed before, but this just adds to my displeasure for this news source.

Something more…anyone remember the old Discount Tire commercial?

Yeah, I am starting to get that pissed. I just might walk up to Goggle’s front window and throw their news feed through it.

Anyone have any suggestions about a news feed that has a WIDE variety of sources and a WIDE perspective on the news? You know, like they actually report the news but don’t offer their opinions or commentary on it?

One eyed travel

Posted on January 7, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Weird thing happened yesterday. Weird enough that I can count the number of times over the last 35 year it has happened on one hand. It was a fluke really, but it made me uncomfortable.

I have worn soft contacts for a long time, like since about the 5th grade. Having 30+ years of experience, I kind of “have seen it all” when it comes to these things, which is tough because I am pretty much as blind as a bat without them.

Anyway, yesterday they were kind of bugging me so I decided I would clean then in my cube here at work. No biggie. I had solution and a tissue. I proceeded to clean the contact for my left eye (the worst of my two eyes) and then put it back in. I took out the right eye, the best of the two, and proceeded to clean it. No problem….except that when I went to put the lens back into my eye, it was missing part of the lens. HUH?

I looked in my palm and sure enough there was a piece of he contact stuck to my palm, in the contact solution. Weird! These weren’t old contacts. They new as of 6 days ago, so they weren’t worn out or old or anything. Why did it tear? It’s a mystery to me.

So, blind in one eye and just over 1.5 hours of work to go. What do I do? It’s cold and rainy up here in the PNW, so I didn’t really want to drive home, half blind, in the rainy dark. So, I left work and headed home. I am glad I didn’t wait. It was hard to have an hour commute with one eye that is basically is useless – light and shapes is about it.

So, that is a new thing to consider that I hadn’t before. I need a spare set at work. Glasses isn’t an option since they are coke bottles and I don’t wear them in public. When I travel, at least for more than a couple days, I take an extra set just in case. I have never needed the extras, but this definitely has me thinking that I need to consider all my options when I am away from home now.

Ever had anything unexpected like this alter they way you think or behave?

Stolen retirement?

Posted on January 6, 2020 by backuphill

People who aren’t relatives, but look like their retired. Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

This morning’s irritation doesn’t really have anything to do with me, so much as it has to relatives. Well, this isn’t really an irritation for just this morning. This is an ongoing irritation that flairs of on a regular basis, especially when I feel like someone is being taken advantage of.

I have some family members who are generous people. They like to help others.

I have some family members who make poor choices and like to ask for help when things get tough.

As you can see, this combination of two types of family members makes for some behavior enabling and as a result, I don’t think anyone in the situation wins.

The biggest problem here, as I see it, is that the family members who think they are being generous and helpful are the grandparents of said family members who can’t seem to get their adult life and behavior figured out. Sure, the grandparents are free to spend their money as they see fit. They are adults and they are still of sound mind and body (at least as far as any of us are).

However, the issue I have is the frequency with which the grandchildren take advantage of their grandparents’ generosity. Less than six months ago, one of the grandchildren got a huge chunk of money (to the tune of about $3500) so they could move their family into a different rental house, one that was really beyond their means. Now that same grandchild is in need of a more fuel efficient vehicle (rental house is too far from job) and they don’t have the money for that either…and so an offer from the grandparents is on the table again…

I just can’t help but wonder if the grandparents are being robbed of their “golden years”? They live within their means and they obviously know how to manage their money, but we are often told they live meagerly and they can’t afford this or that, or they can’t get a better car for themselves, or they don’t go to doctor because they don’t think they can afford it. It’s stuff like that. Is that really how they should be living in retirement?

As the parent (step-parent/SNL, at that), when is it appropriate to say “Enough is enough” or to “Stop” or to “Step back”? Or, do I just stay out of it and let it go…none of my business kind of thing?

Self important?

Posted on January 3, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Riccardo Bresciani on Pexels.com

I keep seeing these videos on social media and its getting rather irritating because everyone knows they shouldn’t do it, but they do it anyway. What videos am I talking about?

I keep seeing videos of people driving. They are holding their phone (you can tell because the image “floats” and you can see the dashboard) while they drive and showing you the road, road conditions, night sky, etc. There may be music in the background or they are narrating something that happened. Whatever.

In a day and age where it is illegal (at least in my state) to have a phone in your hand while driving, you would think that people would not put themselves or others in danger by holding a phone while they drive.

It leads me to believe that they believe they are more important than everyone else. “I’m going to disregard the law and safe driving habits so that I can post a video of me driving on the road. Because, after all, everyone is interested in what I am doing and they should probably know the road conditions.”

Guess what? You ain’t that important!

I don’t care that you are on an open road, in the middle of the night, with no other traffic around you. I don’t care what the road conditions are. I don’t care that you need to tell your followers something. I don’t care that you have a song you want us all to hear.

I don’t care.

Get over yourself and drive safely. Period.

Price gouging?

Posted on January 2, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

What do you guys thing? Could this instance be considered price gouging or just market demand?

New Years Eve plans weren’t set in stone yet, so going to the movie theater was determined to be a good idea. Killing a few hours at a movie would help get the evening along and help me make it to the new year (instead of being an old, grumpy person – er, like every other day).

Anyway, we only have one movie theater that is local so to the AMC we went. During the ticket purchasing process it was discovered that the normally $5+ tickets at the theater were just the normal price of $11+. Huh? What’s going on here? Discount Tuesday has been a thing for years and this last year has been no different, so why suddenly are prices not the normally discounted price?

Come to find out, because both Christmas Eve and New Years Eve are the night before a holiday, the theater suspended the special price to take advantage of the fact that maybe more people would want to go see movies. Really? They’re going to jack the normally low price up for two days just so they can take advantage of their customers?

To me, it smacks of “price gouging,” because it is taking advantage of an abnormal situation to make more money. The official definition doesn’t say anything about a “state of emergency” or “disaster,” but if you look at legal definitions it tends to lean in that direction.

I guess it probably isn’t really price gouging, but it feels really shady when you are standing in line to buy tickets with your kids and what would have been a $25 night at the movies turns into $60 (before you even buy popcorn or snacks) because you have no choice at that point. I watched family after family be surprised by the unique “price adjustment” and the unspoken visual debate between husband and wife take place via their eyes. There were some who just turned around and left, but not very many. As parents, it’s hard to turn around and leave when you have all those eyes staring at you in expectation. So, they break the budget to make it happen.

Real shady, AMC. Real shady.

Reflection

Posted on January 1, 2020 by backuphill

Photo by Javon Swaby on Pexels.com

As 2020 comes crashing in and we usher in a new day, month, year, and decade, I just wanted to pause for a moment and reflect.

Ok, not really. Why reflect? It will only bring back the things we weren’t successful with, the things that weren’t fair, the things that sucked, the things that were disappointing, and the things that just plain didn’t really need to happen.

CRAPPY NEW YEAR!

I jest, of course.

But as we raise a glass to a new year, may we be blessed with more things to Piss and Moan about.