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?

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