For a number of non-band related reasons, I have been absent for a few months. Now I’m back, and have stored a lot of rants inside; ‘tis time to vent…stand back.

Red lights. At what point did the rules of driving change, and a red traffic light is no longer synonymous with ‘stop’? Apparently now a red stop light is discretionary – stop if you wish. Perhaps in my temporary absence, car manufacturers have developed shielding which permits cars to zip through red lights without harm. If so, where do I get this magical shielding? Maybe red lights have been deemed a street decoration. Or is it only certain drivers who are required to stop? If this is the case, please tell me where the exemption list is, so that I can brush up on the new rules before I become a death statistic (and BTW, I’m a pedestrian who takes my life in my hands walking to/from work daily. I have dodged more than one car that has sped through a red light and either come close to hitting me, or causing traffic in the cross direction to swerve onto the sidewalk close to me).

Indicators. Here is a little known fact. On the steering column of most cars is a little lever or stick. This is used to indicate a change in direction of your vehicle and is manipulated up/down for right/left. This can be used to tell other drivers that you are going to change the lane in which you are driving (handy on a multiple lane highway), AND it can be used to advise other drivers that you are going to be turning right or left onto another road, or driveway or even pulling off on to the side of the road. To be truly effective, it is to be used BEFORE you attempt your maneuver. You will not wear out the indicator; there is no pay-for-use penalty for using it, and is simple to learn and with practice will become second nature. Next lesson – rear-view mirrors are not for makeup application!

Grow up! I work in a profession that mandates certification before an individual who has successfully completed their university course of study can ‘practice’. Each year after the exam, there is a flurry of calls to my office from those candidates who were unsuccessful and I never cease to be amazed/annoyed by the parents calling on behalf of their children. I hold my temper (oh but the temptation…)! Here is my open letter to those :

Dear irate/demanding/obnoxious Parent: Your ‘child’ has completed a minimum of 4 years of university study plus post graduate training yet apparently they are unable to master a telephone or deal with failure. This raises some significant concerns for your child’s ability to live independently as an adult. Their exam failure pales by comparison to this significant limitation of being a world citizen and begs the question: what was your role as a parent? Instead of pondering this question, you phone and yell at me because apparently of the many hundreds of candidates that write the exam (marked by computer), I personally have selected your child to fail because I am prejudiced against whites/blacks/females/males/ city/rural/ young/old/religious/humanist or any other variable that you imagine. Yes indeed, that’s what this nation needs, professionals dealing with the public after their mommy (more often) has berated, badgered, harassed, and insulted the licensing body to force them to grant a license to a ‘professional’ who can’t pass the exam! Ain’t gonna happen on my watch!!

Rant over. You may now resume normal operations.

My rant is that I find school supply lists to be completely ridiculous sometimes. I have one going into 2nd grade and one going into kindergarten. They only "allow" certain brands of crayons (Crayola) and scissors. My kindergartner's list asked for packs of 16 crayons, which are about $2, while 24 packs are 22 cents. Hmm, I wonder which I bought. I stock the kids up in August so I'm not paying 3-4 times as much in January for the same stuff. WHY are these things so important? Doesn't a 24 pack of crayons have the same colors, plus some, as the 16 count? Yes, I'm a complete cheapskate and I LOVE getting stuff on sale.

Right now, I am sitting here labeling every individual crayon, pencil, and marker that my kindergartner needs for school because it was on the list. What the heck?! Does it matter whose blue crayon or yellow pencil it is, as long as everybody has a blue crayon and yellow pencil?

I'm the same way. I don't understand why they say the most expensive brands...or say do this when the other is cheaper. I label everything I own too...OCD a bit xD I have a dymo 3d labeler. Loooooooove it.

You would think that I would be over this by now. It's been two years...not over it...so will rant about it. Maybe this will help. My dumbass, so called friend backed into my pickup, left the scene and lied about it to me later. (Her sister was with her and slipped and told me it happened). They were leaving a bar and grill that me and my DH were having dinner at. She backed her big ass truck up and the hitch took care of the entire drivers side of my vehicle.

When I confronted her with what I knew had happened and that I have a $1,000 deductible, she begged me to not make her pay cuz her DH would kill her cuz she was in the bag. My DH decided it was not worth a fight and made me drop it. (Her DH is a friend of my DH). Piss. Was not ready to drop it. So, guess she can kiss my ass till hell freezes over!

she begged me to not make her pay cuz her DH would kill her cuz she was in the bag. My DH decided it was not worth a fight and made me drop it.

I sure as hell hope she hasn't continued to drink and drive! The damage to your vehicle - bad, not admitting responsibility - worse. Driving while 'in the bag' - reprehensible!:Banane37:

I sure as hell hope she hasn't continued to drink and drive! The damage to your vehicle - bad, not admitting responsibility - worse. Driving while 'in the bag' - reprehensible!:Banane37:

I agree. But, don't think it has stopped. She's one that hits the bar about 4pm and leaves about 10pm chewing on a swizzle stick. Somehow she has alluded getting caught.

BTW....she is not listed as a "friend" in my book. Totally self-involved and not my kind of girl. Got to know her...don't care for her and her ways.

Try a old claw foot bathtub and a sizable old cast iron double kitchen sink up at the top of our driveway against a fence in broad daylight. Need I say the "F" word?

Hmmm my current rant?

People who say they'll call/do something/get back to you etc etc at a particular specific time, and don't. For days.

And people at work who bitch and whinge about something but then when they are given the opportunity to make the situation better (with actually very little effort), they say that its "useless, pointless, a waste of time and that they have better things to do with their time". Like spend hours a day on facebook and googling pictures of trains???? GAH!!!

That is all.

Googling pictures of trains? Seriously? Although I know lots of people like trains, models of trains, etc.....spending any significant amount of time googling pics of trains sounds vaguely fetish-like.

In-laws..........'nuff said. Now mind you I could go on for DAYS!!!!

Pathetic thing is I love them dearly, but they make me CRAZY!! And lately seem to take enjoyment out of hurting my feelings.....

Kat

Googling pictures of trains? Seriously? Although I know lots of people like trains, models of trains, etc.....spending any significant amount of time googling pics of trains sounds vaguely fetish-like.

Yeah go figure huh? This dude is actually rebuilding an old train carriage in real life so I guess he just really likes them. But his complete lack of even trying to be covert with the aimless internet surfing pisses the rest of us of when we're busting our butts to get everything done.

Worst thing of all is I am leaving that place and he is taking over my job in 3 weeks (argh my poor staff!). He's going to die when he actually has to work 9 or 10 hours a day for his $90k a year. Ass.

Periods ARRRRGHHHH! That's my rant LOL

Menopause.:cursing::wink2::cursing::frown:

Oh Tap, I'm so sorry. Have you checked your local health store to see of they have any natural products you could try to help with your symptoms? Might be worth a shot. Hang in there.

My rant is dumbass stupid people on this website who don't like a post and can't simply not read it or ignore it. LOL

Here's my random rant, and I may catch a lot of flak for this, but here goes...First of all, let me state for the record that I myself am fat, and that I believe that fat doesn't always equal unhealthy. Disclaimer over.

I had a pt recently in the sleep lab that was just starting her Quest for a medicare-approved lapband (she's young, on disability). Her stated weight is 442 lbs. She could not walk farther that 30 yards without becoming very short-of-breath. She has chronic non-healing wounds (bad enough to warrent debridment in the OR, and regular visits to a wound care specialist) on her legs. She told me that she has not slept in a bed for 3 years (she sleeps in a recliner).

The rant part of all this is that when I was discussing possible co-morbidities that might help qualify her, she told me that she had none. Then she proceeded to tell me that, except for her leg wounds, she was the picture of health. Then she started griping about how unfair it was that medicare should punish the "healthy people" by not approving them for the band.

My rant is this: Does she really think that she's perfectly healthy? I can't see her trying to embellish her medical history due to embarrassment (because remember, I'm fat too. It's not like she's talking WLS with a stickman) . It made me a little sad to think that she's deluding herself about her health. Then that started me thinking what if I'm a train wreck as well, under the delusion that I'm fairly healthy?

Ah well......rant over.

You know Plain, that is really sad, on so many levels!!

Lack of the obvious co-morbidities is leading her to believe she is healthy! I have a neighbor who borrows my blood pressure machine once every couple of weeks or so, because I have the big cuff on mine, from when I began monitoring mine at near 300 pounds. She weighs well over 400----and her BP is always very normal, 120/65 range, her pulse in the high 60's. My machine stores the last 50 readings, and mine is normal now, but you can scroll through the readings and not tell Annes from mine. And she MUST be harming herself at that weight!!

I had obvious issues, the high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, joint pain, shortness of breath upon any exertion----and Anne says she has none of those! Other than knee pain when she climbs stairs.

This woman is several inches shorter than I am, and weighs more than I ever did, and has 7 years on me as well! Is it all genetic???? Does she come from better stock than I do??? I know she does not eat healthy, that much is obvious, plus we have eaten together!!

I know not everything shows from the outside, and that big people can be as healthy as thin people can be unhealthy---but HOW can you have some issues like that womans ulcerated legs, and not have a diabetic issue somewhere???? Or something??

No flak from me, I agree. But maybe I also inherited a bad attitude!!!

Kat