Variety is the spice of a good blog. Some of my posts are meant to inspire, some to inform and others to make you think. The goal of today’s post is to make you laugh.
Life is full of difficulties. Some of them, like the recent hurricanes and wildfires, are serious. In these situations, we all need help to recover, rebuild and find a new normal. Other problems can be better described as annoyances. Even though these may be minor, they can still be very frustrating. In cases like these, simply realizing that we are not alone can help us smile and keep things in perspective.
Thus, since misery loves company, here is my list of 86 things that make you say, “Argh!”
86 Things That Make You Say, “Argh!”
1. When you can’t find your keys, the tickets, your cell phone…
2. When you order a new appliance, only to discover that it doesn’t fit in your space.
3. When you are assembling a new piece of furniture and discover that you are missing a piece.
4. When you drive over something that ruptures your tire.
5. When you drop your cell phone and the screen cracks.
6. When you drip pasta sauce on your white shirt.
7. When you realize that you are out of a needed ingredient after you’ve started to prepare the recipe.
8. When you are one battery short of the number you need.
9. When you drop a compact fluorescent light bulb.
10. When your child repeatedly drops something, expecting you to pick it up and give it back.
11. When the phone or doorbell rings two minutes after you get your child down for a nap.
12. When your spouse comes home just before bedtime and riles up the children so they won’t go to bed.
13. When the muddy dog walks on the clean carpet or floor.
14. When you can’t open your teenager’s bedroom door because there are so many articles of clothing on the floor.
15. When the rotating “rainbow of death” appears on your computer screen.
16. When the baby fills his diaper right after you get him strapped into the car seat.
17. When you lose cell service in the middle of an important conversation.
18. When you can’t remember a name, or why you walked into the room, or what you were just saying…
19. When you lock yourself out.
20. When you get a phone call from Rachel at Card Services.
21. When the previous user has left you with an empty toilet paper roll.
22. Hearing that dull “click” when you turn the key in your car.
23. When you thought you would certainly get a snow day, and then the forecast turns out to have been wrong and you still have to go to school.
24. When you have studied and are ready for the exam, and the professor decides to put it off since other students are not prepared.
25. When the notification is switched from “on time” to “delayed.”
26. When your umbrella turns inside out.
27. When a bird uses you for target practice.
28. When your neighbor allows his large dog to frequent your yard, and never picks up after him.
29. When you start the gas grill for the party and the propane tank is suddenly empty.
30. When someone pulls into the parking spot you were clearly waiting for.
31. When bugs or animals eat the tomato you’ve been trying all summer to grow.
32. Putting.
33. When you go to the DMV and wait in line only to get to the front and be told you are in the wrong line.
34. When your jeans are tight.
35. When you’ve been on hold in “voice mail jail” for 38 minutes, and then get disconnected.
36. When you cannot log in, but the sight won’t tell you whether it is your username or password that is wrong.
37. Autocorrect.
38. When the power goes out or the water main breaks.
39. When your plane lands early but you have to sit on the tarmac and wait an hour for a gate to open up.
40. When you open the yogurt and it splatters all over.
41. When you’re waiting to get a call back from the doctor and you walk away from your phone for .000000007 seconds and that’s when he calls.
42. How impossible it is to untangle headphone cords.
43. When you go on a trip and realize you didn’t pack socks.
44. When you get called for jury duty. Again.
45. When you forget to press, “Save.”
46. When you child tells you he isn’t feeling well on a Friday at 5:30pm.
47. When your phone or computer automatically installs an update.
48. When you are randomly selected for additional security screening at the airport.
49. When you sharpen a pencil and then the entire tip falls out.
50. Paper cuts.
51. When you go shopping for clothes and the options are either too big, too small or only available in mustard yellow.
52. When your favorite show gets cancelled.
53. When you realize the flashing red and blue lights are meant for you.
54. When you cut yourself shaving.
55. Listening to someone from the other political party.
56. Taxes.
57. When you get notified that your child has been exposed to lice.
58. When the store clerk talks on the cell phone the whole time he/she is checking you out.
59. When the person in front of you at the traffic light fails to look up from his cell phone, and by the time he finally moves, only he can pass through before it turns red.
60. When the repairman gives you a time window and then doesn’t show up (or call) within that window.
61. When you realize that you left your phone charger in the hotel/the cab.
62. The left turn signal that is so short only one car gets through.
63. When the coffee filter gets folded over and your pot of coffee ends up being full of grinds.
64. When you are trying to put a dollar bill into a machine and it keeps popping back out.
65. When someone uses your grammatical pet peeve.
66. When six lanes have to merge into one.
67. When it is 9:00pm and your child announces that she needs poster board for the project that is due tomorrow.
68. When your upstairs neighbors are talking loudly while you are trying to sleep.
69. When you can’t remember if you turned off your hair straightener before you left the house.
70. Trying to get a shrunken fitted sheet onto the mattress.
71. When you wake up and realize you set the alarm for PM instead of AM.
72. When you can’t fall asleep.
73. When you have to get up unusually early and you spend the whole night rolling over and looking at the clock to make sure you aren’t oversleeping.
74. When the realtor calls to ask if she can bring a prospective buyer over for a quick look just as you are putting dinner on the table.
75. One bar of cell service.
76. When other people don’t show up for work, and the solution is that you get to do their work as well as your own.
77. When no matter where you sit around the fire pit, the smoke blows in your direction.
78. When your mother tells you she has a box of your stuff she wants you to go through.
79. Trying to open blister packaging.
80. When the email or text sends before you finished typing it.
81. When the sun is in your eyes when you are driving and the visor is just about 1 inch too short to be of any assistance.
82. When you get into the shortest line, and then the person ahead of you has some big issue and your line ends up being the longest.
83. When the GPS tells you that you have arrived at your destination, but you still can’t find it.
84. When other people keep you waiting or make you late.
85. When you realize you are getting a head cold.
86. Discovering your puzzle is missing one piece.
* * * * *
I am really looking forward to the comments this week! Can you relate to any of these? What would you add?
Omg, I can relate to so many of these and than some! Seriously from the lost keys right down to discovering a lost puzzle piece, too!! Just nice to know that I am not alone at the very least 😉
Janine Huldie recently posted…15 Spooky Mummy Crafts for Kids
Certainly not alone! At some level, it is comforting to know that others are feeling the same way:)
lol, Seana! I have love-hate relationship with autocorrect. But it definitely makes me go “Argh!”
Yes, our family has some pretty funny stories about autocorrect. Often, I talk into my phone to reply, and those can be the worst!
I’m reading this list and saying, “Yup–that’s happened to me!” I’d say “Arrgh!” after most of these but if the school nurse called about lice (#57), I’d probably yell, “NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
Ha ha, Stacey, that makes me laugh. I was with someone just last week who got notified that her child had been exposed to lice. I know people who have been through it, and lice can be tough to get rid of. I’m with you in this response!
I can relate to these argh moments, especially when my kids were younger.
As humans, we don’t like change or disruption in our lives. This list reminds me we can choose not to get frustrated by an interruption or change in our lives. The phrase “pick your battles” comes to mind. =)
That is a great phrase, Sabrina! It can be hard to keep the temper under control, especially in the heat of the moment. But when you realize everyone is experiencing some level of frustration, it helps you regain composure. This was just the first 86 things that came to mind… I’m sure I could come up with more:)
I’ve got one! When your favorite lipstick color gets discontinued! Mom mom always says to buy 10 tubes if you find a color you like. Not something I would ever do as an organizer, but it’s sure tempting! Great post, Seana.
I hear that, Veronica! My Mom has complained for years about her favorite makeup, perfume, sunscreen, etc. getting discontinued. When you finally find something you love, it is very depressing when you can no longer get it!
Oh, how I love this list!! So funny and ALL so true! Thanks for the smile and the laugh 🙂
Liana George recently posted…Going Deep: How Organizing is like Scuba Diving
We can all use a laugh now and then. Hope your day is annoyance-free Liana!
I just had breakfast with my SIL who does dictation of interviews as part of her job – we had a good laugh related to grammatical pet peeves. Who says “funnily enough?!”
Everyone in my family has their own personal grammatical “cringe” expression. It’s a good conversation to see exactly what drives each of us crazy!
Wasn’t sure if 37 purposely followed 36, but it made me laugh!
When your cat throws up on the pile of papers on the counter, avoiding the rest of the perfectly clear counter.
When they don’t leave a detailed message and a game of phone tag ensues.
When your card shows a “member ID” and the form is asking for an “account number”.
When they answer their cell phone while driving, or while at dinner with other people.
Hazel Thornton recently posted…Mom’s Boxes Part 4: Grandma’s Lawn Chairs
I love that you gave additional irritations, Hazel! All of these are excellent. I don’t have a cat, but I can certainly imagine my reaction if mine threw up on my papers LOL. The talking loudly on the cell phone thing at dinner.. how did I miss that?
These ring so true! I read many aloud to my husband and daughter. Gave us some good laughs!
I’m so glad it brought a smile to your face, Carolyn. Life can be challenging, so I think it always helps when I can just laugh a little!
Ugh. 85. And #2! That happened last year with our new fridge. Luckily our contractor was there and he literally cut a bigger space in the wall right then and there! I was in shock.
#27 happened to me on my way to a college class! I cut class that day..
27 happened to my daughter on vacation this summer… all over her face. It was awful. We were out on the boardwalk. Needless to say, she went home:(
One of mine is when you are ordering online and get to the final page and the computer freezes and you can’t finish it after 10 minutes of filling out the forms. Another is when they tell me my password isn’t my password! Then when they give me a temporary password and I immediately try it I’m told it has expired-in 5 seconds! Another I often experience is when I’m getting out of the car and reach form my purse on the passenger side and the handle lassos the gear shift and nearly removes my arm from my shoulder. So many of these I have experienced-laughing does make it easier.
Oh, the computer freeze is a great one! We’ve all had that. It is amazing at how many things – other than my shoulder – that my purse strap gets caught on:)
O.M.G. This. ALL of this. It derives me crazy!! I’ll bet you had fun writing this, too! I might have to try something like this on my blog, too. If I do, I will let you know and give you credit!
You are one of my humor inspirations, Marcia! A compliment from you on this one means so much!!
I can relate to many of these, and also – when you purposefully stay home to receive a delivery, but they come when you’re in the bathroom and you have to go pick it up anyway.
Oh yes, we spend relatively little time in the bathroom, but it always seems to be at the wrong moment! I’ve had that happen many times as well…
When the phone rings the moment you get into the shower and whoever it is just keeps ringing and ringing till you get out and answer it only to find it is no one important and no one has died.
Oh yes, I love this one! It never fails that someone comes to the door as soon as you step in the shower. Then you try and quickly finish and run downstairs only to find they’ve given up. Definitely an “argh” to that!