How do I annoy thee? Let me count the ways
I work with a man who talks to himself while he’s writing emails. He verbalises every word as he types. Not only do I hear his keys clicking, I also hear the words he’s typing.
I try to focus on my work, but it’s SO distracting.
Occasionally I’ll turn to him and say, ‘Ummmm – could you please shut up?’
He stops for a while, but then the words slowly creep back in. It starts as a whisper and then increases to a mutter and then you’d think he was having a conversation on the telephone and then – is he shouting across a paddock?
Don’t get me wrong, I love him to death – he’s just really annoying.
When I think about this, I wonder what annoying things I do.
At the moment, my husband is standing at the kitchen sink washing up so he can start getting dinner ready. I’m sitting at the table writing and I just said to him, ‘Could you get me a glass of wine?’ Considering he’s cleaning and cooking you would think my request would be annoying – but he doesn’t seem to mind at all.
I really think I can be annoying at times and this is why –
- I laugh when I’m nervous (I blame this on genetics)
- I’ve always had long(ish) hair and when I have it cut my mother gets annoyed (as if I’m a five year-old and have done it myself in the back of the shed). I tell her it will grow back and when it does, I’ll have it cut again – strangely enough, this annoys her even more
- When I tell my kids I’m on the blogosphere they get annoyed and tell me I’m SO last century. So I make sure I tell them as often as possible so they understand my place in the universe
I annoy myself sometimes – like when I go to the shops to buy a jumbo packet of coconut M&Ms to last me the week, then eat them before I get home.
Do you annoy people? Do you annoy yourself?
Picture courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net
I certainly annoy myself… but I’m too sweet to annoy anyone else….
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Hahaha – good to hear 🙂
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I’m so incredibly type A, I annoy myself (and possibly every one else around me). The weird (and possibly most annoying thing) about my “type-A’ed-ness” is that although I must have a set, written schedule… I tend to overbook myself to such an extent that I only ever get half of it done.
I can sympathize with how you feel about your coworker though and I understand the way you can love someone but be overwhelmingly annoyed by them. My stepfather is a chronic singer – if he isn’t talking or listening to something, he sings. I tell you… after a couple days of that, it really grinds your gears. In fact, as I type this he’s headed to the kitchen to make his morning coffee — singing.
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I like the way you have a schedule! My daughter is the same, whereas I just do things as I feel like and rarely plan which I’m sure frustrates her no end at times 🙂
The good thing about your stepfather singing is that he must be a happy man (or thinks he’s a rock star!) 😀
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Haha! I love how you blame the laughing thing on genetics. I too laugh when I’m nervous. It’s at it’s worst when someone is trying to have a serious conversation with me and when I can’t hold in my laughter anymore I burst into hysterics. If only I can count those pissed off glares I have received.
But I KNOW I am annoying. I’m good in small doses. Nothing more.
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Honesty – I love it!!!
So glad you’re a laugher too – it’s such a hard thing to explain to the unlaughers of the world 😀
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Haha… So true!
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I do try not to be annoying, but I’m not sure I always succeed. 🙂
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Welcome to my world! 🙂
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Oh, I’m sure I annoy people, but I don’t bother to find out in what ways. That is probably annoying to others as well 🙂
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Hahaha – great response 🙂
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You annoying? Never! What is annoying is they make the packages of M & Ms too small.
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Lol – I need to contact the M&M people and let them know! 😀
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I annoy myself, talking about what I’m gonna do and not doing it. And people annoy me, asking me what I’m doing when I’m doing nothing.
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Oh – I like that one – when people ask what your doing when you’re reading a book 🙂 Um, I’m playing tennis – what does it look like I’m doing!
Thank you for reminding me of this one 🙂
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I don’t like to share my food, which annoys my husband terribly. He is convinced I suffered from starvation in a past life.
I annoy myself when I do stupid things like not putting my car keys in my purse so I can always find them, or forgetting to pick up a much-needed item at the grocery store.
You asking your hubs for a glass of wine while he’s prepping dinner made me lol because my mom-in-law does that exact kind of thing to her husband. Now, that also annoys my husband when he sees his mother doing that. I just laugh.
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Food is a great one! I find it annoying when I’m eating and someone asks for a taste (um – why don’t you get your own?)
As far as the car keys goes, I’m so bad at this that I have made up a little rhyme every time I come in or leave the house to make sure I’ve got the keys, the glasses, the phones etc. (I’d love to share it with the world, but it’s really childish and stoopid!)
I love your mother-in-law already – a woman after my own heart 😀
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I haven’t tried the coconut M&M’s yet. I’m all over the peanut butter ones. And the peanut … and almond. Oh dear.
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No – don’t try them! You’ll never stop – believe me 😀
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Yes, and yes. 😉 I annoy myself with my insecurities and others in ways they’re usually too nice to confront me with. My indecisiveness has got to bug people!
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Should I respond to this comment – or shouldn’t I? 😀
Indecisiveness can frustrate the best of us! People are so nice, they usually don’t say when things frustrate them. I usually make subtle hints when something annoys me – unless it’s really annoying – then I can be very blunt (again – I blame genetics!) 🙂
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I’m sooo annoying! Apparently I interrupt and talk over people all the time. It’s not because I don’t care about what they’re saying, I just get overexcited!
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That’s great! At least they know you’re excited about what they’re saying and you’re not nodding off 🙂
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Funny post 🙂 I annoy myself via inherited traits from my Dad in whom they annoy me as well. They’re doubly annoying when you know they’ve been “gifted” to you 🙂
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Welcome to my inheritance – why didn’t I just get perfect skin instead 😀
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I shudder to think how annoying I am. My son tells me my singing along with the radio is very annoying and the way I insist that the coffee cups be put in order is even more annoying.
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Do you sing along with the muzak in the supermarket? I stopped this when my daughter pulled me up on it!
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I definitely hum along.
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Yeah, the wine thing could be annoying, but maybe he wants you mellow and out of his way while he’s cooking. 🙂 I annoy people when I (sometimes purposely) get famous quotes wrong. I also like to give people earworms, you know those songs you can’t get out of your head like Single Ladies …
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
Wuh uh oh uh uh oh oh uh oh uh uh oh
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You’re right about hubby. He was very sick for a long time and now he can get up and do things and he wants me out of the way and relaxing while he’s ‘creating’ – he thinks I deserve it for some reason and hey, who am I to argue with that? 😀
I also like annoying people with getting quotes wrong (you’ve just given me an idea for a post – hope you don’t mind – I’ll quote you!). This is why I called one of my novels ‘Let Sleeping Gods Lie’. People give you really odd looks when you say things like ‘At night all cats are gay’ and they say ‘NO – don’t say that, it’s not PC – it’s supposed to be “at night all cats are GREY!’
Hahaha – that song is SO annoying and I can’t get it out of my head now!!!
😀
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Then my work is done. 🙂 Yeah, sure quote me (or misquote me). Try this on someone who likes Star Wars: Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only ‘choice’. That’ll rile them.
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Hahahahaha – will do!
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I’m afraid I’m guilty of both… I can be quite annoying, so I’m told, and the feeling is mutual.
Now tell me about these coconut M&Ms – we don’t think we have them in Norway…
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Oh, Maggie – they are wonderfully delicious! Coconut wrapped in chocolate – nom nom nom 😀
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Ive had a lot of time off work over the last 18 months due to my depression etc. I do get annoyed with myself when I take a day off and I know two of the “boys” who are supposed to be grown adults have a bitch with each other when I take days off, not that it affects them in any way. What do you do? I try and ignore it, but it does secretly bother me.
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Why would they have a bitch? Are they annoyed you’ve taken time off? Tell them to grow up and behave like men! Are they living in your house? (I’m saying this with my Judge Judy voice). Did you put a roof over their heads? Naughty boys!
Just keep on doing what you’re doing – it’s your life:)
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Interesting post. M&M’s…you just made me drive to get it..kid again 🙂
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I hope M&Ms pay me for this post – LOL!
😀
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Dianne, I think this post of yours touches on the core issue. That is, how well do we know ourselves. I make no apologies for side-stepping the light-hearted tone of your contribution, carried on by so many of your commentators! (But I can be too serious for my own good!)
That’s one of the reasons why writing is so wonderful. Not only can it be utterly self-illuminating but also a ‘safer’ place to open up than the real world around us. Blogging (but how I hate the ugliness of the word) is even better as it’s a form of writing that carries the elements of openness (as in self) but allows hands to be held with others, virtually across the ether, as well as the sharing of hearts and minds. (Wow, that sentence nearly became a contender for the longest sentence in the world award!)
As it happens, I follow the blog The Liberated Way, see http://liberatedway.com/ and a recent post by Alex, Bridge of Fear, included the following:
“Beyond our conscious self our subconscious has a suggestible sense of reality; the hypnotist can bypass our conscious self and place suggestions of reality into the human mind that the subconscious will believe. Via our imaginations we have a direct link to our subconscious, so we can either increase or decrease our fears depending on the pictures we put there.”
All of which has neatly allowed me to avoid the almost endless list of things that I annoy myself over! 😉
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Thank you, Paul! You’re being very philosophical this week and I’m liking it, a lot!
I’ll check out Liberated Way and also present you with the prize for longest sentence of the week – a HUGE smile 😀
Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments – much appreciated indeed 🙂 🙂
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Constantly to both, and thanks for reminding me- I have some peanut M & M’s in the drawer. Thanks for following.
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Lol – please share!
Thank’s, Jo – enjoy 🙂
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There’s one man at work who does this thing with his hand and finger when he’s sitting listening to you talk. It’s like he rests his chin on his knuckles but then rubs his forefinger in circles around the corner of his mouth?? My Gran used to do it and it annoys the freaking hell out of me and I swear one of these days I’m going to reach across and break his wrist and ooooohhhmmmmmm, deep breath!
Also, my husband when he comes home after having a few drinks with the boys will often have a piece of dry bread. That in itself drives me nuts but then he always gets the hiccups which drives me practically insane. Just as well divorce lawyers aren’t available at 11pm some Friday nights :-).
My most annoying habit I think is not sticking with things – i.e. once I’ve learnt how to do something or taught myself how to do something I move on to something else. Not sure exactly what that indicates? ADD or low boredom threshold?
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Oh – how annoying! The work and hubby thing! When my hubby drinks he talks and sings in his sleep which is infuriating because I can’t tell him to shut up!
The moving on his probably a sign of giftedness which causes people to get bored very easily because they take things in so quickly. Particularly when kids are at school and they find the lessons boring. I’d be pretty happy with that if I were you 🙂
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I work in a high school. First thing I tell kids is that they shouldn’t get on my bad side. Because I will annoy them to death. Just ask my kids.
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You must be a saint working in a high school! The threat of annoying them to death is a great way to get them to behave 😀 Love it!
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Hello Dianne,
I just have to comment this time! I love your blog! But by the time I get here to read it there’s always millions of comments – you’re popular 🙂 So I’ll just be content to be the 45th, and say, yes I am kind of annoying but I will not list the ways… I try not to be but sometimes I can’t help it. It’s annoying when people tell me I’m annoying which annoys them more… hehe
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Hey Tarina – thank you for responding! I’m so glad you like my blog and please feel free to respond at any time:)
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I enjoyed your light-hearted tone to this very much. There are too few people who can complain with humour. I know I annoy my adult children by “mothering” them. (I don’t think I’m “mothering”, just being a mother.) Otherwise, I don’t really want to think about what annoys people about me right now – I’ll deal with it when I have to. I think the biggest thing that annoys me about other people is being interrupted with trivialities when I’m trying to get something done, but I’m sure I just need to work on make my patience real instead of totally faked.
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There is absolutely nothing wrong with “mothering” – in fact, there should be more of it! 🙂 But kids get the feeling your (s)mothering them instead.
Patience is something I have to work on as well!
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Hilarious. I can so relate to the first paragraph. Thanks for the follow, I got to check out your blog, which is very entertaining.
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Thanks Theresa – I loved your grammar lesson. It’s amazing what we don’t know (or forget) once we get used to the new ‘short-cut way’ 🙂
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This is great! Oh that co-worker! That would be annoying!! I have always envied people who laugh when they’re nervous. I hate that I have a tendency to fake laugh when I’m nervous. (Like in a job interview for a job you really want and then you laugh a little to hard and long at the jokes — I hate that about myself — or worse you laugh a little too hard and a little too long at your OWN jokes — and the other person isn’t laughing at all!) My kids always laugh at me when I call somebody a tool. Apparently I don’t know how to use that term right! HA! I hope that doesn’t make me a tool! 😀
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I love it! A tool 🙂 Good work!
I always laugh at my own jokes – sometimes even before I start telling them and everyone just sits around with blank looks on their faces.
😀
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How wonderfully enlightening Dianne. I am so (quietly) guilty of noticing things that other’s do that is um irritating so I always try to politely say…do you mind not…whatever it is that I find irritating. Meanwhile I know there are things I do that bother people. Oddly enough, sometimes it’s what I don’t say. People will look at me and say “Whats that look supposed to mean?” I didn’t even know a had “that look” on my face. Or my daughter will say “Okay mom, I got it the first time you said it!” It is good to laugh at our own idiosyncrasies. Great post! Really enjoyed it. Thanks! 🙂
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I love the way your daughter knows your ‘looks’! My daughter knows when I’m angry with someone even if I think I’m hiding it – she calles it ‘snake eyes’ 😀
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I asked my daughter about that just now. She said while growing up my eyes scared everybody who knew her when I was angry (who knew) I guess you and I have the “Mother is seriously displeased with you so don’t mess with her right now look”. 🙂
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lol..great post! I think the thing I find most annoying about myself is my lack of patience! uuuraaaggh! I want it and I want it NOW! 😛
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I’m like that with new shoes and clothes 😀
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Not only do I annoy myself, but I make myself cringe, too. I talk to myself, the cat, the chickens, my tomato plants, birds, bees and geckos, but that’s fine because (I think) no-one can hear me, and there’s nothing wrong with one-sided conversations… until someone comes to stay when I try not to do it and drive them cuckoo.
Thanks for finding my blog and following – look forward to your comments!
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Oh no! I talk to myself as well – I used to have an aunt who did this and everytime I catch myself doing it now I think of her! I love that you talk to your tomato plants 😀
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Plants are one thing. But I talk to flies and wasps and inanimate objects as well. Don’t like to ignore anybody…
; ))
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Oh my gosh I love this!
The talking typist sounds highly irritating. How have you not hit him over the head with a pot to shoosh him yet?
I wonder what I do that’s annoying ALL THE TIME. Its kind of strange.
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Everyone has some litle quirk that others find annoying.
The talking typest doesn’t know he’s doing it until I shoosh him (he’s really a very sweet guy) and then he slowly creeps back into it. I often wonder if he does it at home 🙂
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Ha ha! That makes it hard to get mad at him.
I used to do something like that – I’d keep getting louder and louder as I spoke. I’ve finally broken myself of it; yay! I wonder how many people I irritated!
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Glad you entered my rambling domain – as now I have found yours…love your work!
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Thank you so much. We’re very similar (live in Australia, around the same age, children around the same age and both authors!)
I’m really looking forward to following your blog 🙂
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Strange being called an Author – I am still getting use to the idea of my memoir, being an EPub. Dare I say it (my thoughts only) a vain way of getting my work out there. Gave up on the “You write with humour, warmth and an easy read but not our current genre”..Never the less I soldier on!! 🙂
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And so you should. Well done for getting your memoir out there! Where can I find it? I can’t seem to get back to your blog, I just keep getting your Gravatar (I think this is just my silly computer playing tricks on me)
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