Things that annoy me...

1. Stupid Drivers - Is it me, or does anyone else get PISSED when you are trying to merge into traffic on a highway and there is one jackass coming up from behind. Just one. And that fucker simply will NOT get over one damn lane to let you merge? Who the hell taught these people how to drive? It's not that friggin hard. I mean, really, just veer a little to the left and, VOILA! You've just moved over one lane and you let someone merge onto the highway. And what's REALLY irritating is when these fuckers actually get mad at the person trying to merge... like the person merging has NO RIGHT to try and move into the lane they are driving in. Those people piss me off. And of course there are the idiots that simply MUST drive 5 mph UNDER the friggin speed limit. And, you just know at least 1/2 the time you run into one of these assholes, there's gonna be another one driving along beside him. So you're on a four lane highway, cruising along at a comfortable 3 to 4 mph over the speed limit (enough to be daring and breaking the law but not enough to really get in trouble for it) when you come up behind a whole shit-ton of cars... all stuck behind two fuckers driving 60 mph in a 65 zone. And, because they are assholes, neither one of them wants to give in and actually SPEED UP. They both keep cruising along... side-by-side... at 60 mph. Nobody can pass. Pretty soon, the line of cars behind these two jackasses is as long as the line to get into Paris Hilton's pants. And then, when God steps in and thumps one of these dummies in the head and creates a little space... you're 1/2 mile from where you needed to go and it's too late to get around them and give them dirty looks and maybe a finger (or two, depending on how irritated they made you).

2. Many, many airline passengers - I used to travel alot on business. Fly out of KC on Monday morning, fly home on Friday night. Every week for about 1 year I did that. I got to see the ugly passenger syndrome in all it's glory on many occassions. But, weary travellers aren't what bugs me. It's the dumb ones. Tired and homesick passengers have an excuse for being shitheads. Not that it's excusable, but hey, if someone DOES have the right to be an asshole, it's someone who's been on a plane for 6 hours and just wants to get home. The dumb ones. Those are the ones that get me. I was on this flight going to nowhere important from somewhere probably less important. A couple rows ahead of me was this guy... big friggin guy. Must have been 250 and all muscle. Just a big, muscle-bound man. Now, I'm 6'2 and 220 (ok, maybe 230 now... damn home cooking) so I'm not small by any stretch of the imagination. But this guy is bigger. So the plane lands and dude stands up and gets his bag from the overhead bin. Not a BIG bag (can't be if you want to carry it on) but a suitcase none-the-less. It has the little handle and the wheels on it. But still... not a big bag. So this 6' -something, 250ish guy proceeds to get his bag down from the overhead bin, extends the little handle thingy, sets the suitcase on the ground and tries to ROLL the suitcase down the aisle and off the plane. This wasn't one of those big jumbo planes either... it was Southwest Airlines (they of the backwards facing seats and the aisles only wide enough to slide sideways through). So he's trying to roll this stupid little fucking suitcase down this narrow fucking aisle, banging every other seat, tipping the suitcase over, slowing everyone down and in general pissing me off. Big lazy fucker couldn't even pick up the 10 lb bag and CARRY it down the aisle.

3. Fast food customers - I went to Subway the other day. The wife and kids wanted me to stop on the way home from work and pick up dinner. So, no biggie, it's right on my way home. I walk in and there's a couple people waiting in line, one worker on the phone and another worker in the back at a sink. So, I walk up to the counter and stand there patiently, not saying anything, just watching what's going on. Very quickly I realize that one worker has sliced a finger open and the other is on the phone with the boss trying to figure out what the hell to do. So the lady at the front of the line starts sighing and moaning and shuffling and mumbling. I'm just standing there, watching. The one worker gets off the phone and goes and talks to the other for a minute then comes back to help the customers. She's obviously a bit rattled... and the bitch at the front of the line just lays into her. Blah blah blah, what kind of service is this, blah blah blah, slow, incompetent people, blah. I seriously wanted to smack this bitch or at least tell her to shut the fuck up. So, the employee does a good job of apologizing, didn't even make an "excuse" about the cut finger, just said she was sorry. So the phone rings again... so the employee answers it, talks for a couple seconds then hangs up. The bitch at the front of the line goes off again... blah blah blah, you better change your gloves before you touch my food, blah blah blah. The employee says she will, but she's trying to get the sandwich out of the oven before it burns. So the lady gets pissy about that, it's already burned, she needs a new one... and this sandwich looked fine to me. Maybe a little BROWNish, but not burned anywhere. So, the lady gets done and leaves. I get up there and comment to the employee about how well she handled herself and that if it had been me, I'd have told the lady off. She thanked me and said she was tempted, but knew it wouldn't go over well so she held her tongue. I just couldn't believe anyone would be so rude to her. I mean, SOMEONE has to work at Subway. Why should they be treated like shit because they work there? Or anywhere for that matter? It just pisses me off.

4. People that correct other's grammar and pronunciation in a casual, public setting. I was out with friends one night in my younger days and we picked up these girls and went back to a buddies apartment. So, we're all just hanging out, talking, drinking (soda of course) and having a good time. Another friend calls and I get on the phone and begin with, "where are you AT?" Now, I know you don't end a sentence with a preposition... "where are you?" is the appropriate thing to say. You don't need to put the "at" on the end of the sentence. In fact, you shouldn't do it as it is grammatically incorrect. But I don't give a rats ass. I'm hanging out with friends, not in a business meeting. So this bitch of a girl that my buddy picked up starts in on me about sounding like an idiot. I tried to explain to her that, although it was, in fact, not the proper way to say what I said, that I didn't give two shits about it and she could stick a broom handle... well, I told her off. She stayed on it, telling me that if I wanted to sound like an idiot that I was doing a good job of it. So, I told her, "Ok, bitch, I may sound like an idiot, but you sound like an idiot for actually worrying about how I speak or what I say. Worry about yourself for a change and maybe... just maybe... someone would actually like you." Well, that went over about as well as could be expected and needless to say, my buddy didn't get laid that night.

5. Last but not least, Talkers. Now, not just any 'ol kind of "talker". I mean the kind that are talking just to hear themselves talk. The kind that simply CAN'T shut the fuck UP! I know this lady... very nice lady... a person that is good at heart. Really a good person. But, she talks all the fucking TIME! I'm a huge football fan. K-State and the Chiefs. Watching the games is like my religion. If this lady is there... she'll continue talking to me while I am obviously watching the game and COMPLETELY ignoring her. I won't comment to anything she says for at least 10 minutes and she'll still be going. It's like she lost her "off" button or something. I've seriously grabbed the remote, pointed it at her and pushed the mute button just to see if she'd get the hint. Didn't work. I've turned the TV up LOUD to drown her out and she'll still keep talking. I've avoided looking at her in any way for longer than 30 minutes and she'll still talk. It's almost amazing the perseverence she has. The sheer will to TALK. And let me tell ya, she talks about NOTHING of any interest to me. Mostly it's about her day at work or what she does at work, or who she talked to at work or blah blah blah... BLAH! Annoying.

Ok, I guess that's it for now. I know there are other things in this world that annoy the hell out of me, but I'd be writing forever if I covered them all.

Crazy World... To Say the Least

So, I've been a longtime member of a Yahoo group that we call "The Doormats". Around six years ago, I logged into Yahoo and got into their "College Pick-em" game. Yahoo has message boards that allow you to post comments that everyone can read. I was talking trash and posting about how other teams sucked and K-State was the best. A guy named Goofy (yahoo name obviously) asked me to join their private group. I joined up and have been a member ever since. We participate in numerous "fantasy" sports and it's been a lively, fun group since the beginning.

Five years ago, a guy that was in the group that we called "Noles" was in town on business and we posted back and forth about getting together for a beer. We agreed to meet and a designated watering hole and get drunk together. And that's exactly what we did. He was a damn nice guy. Not a freak or a crazy person... just another sports fan. I realized then that most everyone in that group would probably be just like Noles. Cool guys that love their sports and would be easy to be friends with.

The biggest character in the group has to be "Vols". He's a hoot. Not the brightest bulb in the box, but a fun loving guy. Recently, I've been playing online poker with him. Never met him, but he seems like a great person. So, I'm checking our Doormats fantasy football board and there is a post from Vols... but it's his wife. She posts, "hey guys this is Jo, Vols wife, he has had an accident and is in critical condition at the University of Tennessee hospital. He will not be on here posting for a long while or will not be putting his players in. I will inform you more later but please keep him in your prayers. Thank you."

Honestly, it was much like a gut punch. I was floored. I've never met this guy... but when I read that, I felt like a very close friend was hurt. In a way, he is a very close friend... maybe I just didn't realize it. So, myself and most of the rest of the group have been posting back and forth, sorting it out... and then his wife posts again... "I will keep u guys updated daily. as of this morning his coma has worsend, however the dr. says he will have his good days and bad as days go by. He had his 4th cat scan done this early morning, and i will not know the results until this afernoon. There is still beeding in and out of his brain. just alot of trauma and swelling to his head, we're waiting for all of this to subside, in cases like that ...this also takes time. Thanks guys".

Basically, here's what happened, as told to me by his wife... "I did talk to her, yes. I thought about the family and such trying to get in touch with her, but assumed most family would be there and aware of the situation already. So, to sum up the accident... Vols was leaving the UT game on Sat. night. Him and some friends had parked behind a frat house at the bottom of a hill. The frat guys were having a "tub race" (racing in big tubs down a very large and steep hill). Vols and friends at bottom of said hill, not knowing said race is going on. Vols gets nailed by a tub racer as the tub and it's occupant go flying down the hill and into the parking lot. Vols sees tub at last second and tries to jump out of the way. Tub clips him and flips him in the air and he lands head first on the concrete. Vols in shock, stops breathing, massive head and brain injuries. He is currently in a coma and in serious condition. This is one of those accidents... if nobody had been hurt or if he'd have just had been hit and gotten a broken leg or something... we'd all be giving him hell. As it is, you want to laugh at the stupidity of the accident and what led up to it, but because of the severity, it's just not funny. Amazing the stupid shit that can happen."

The Doormat Football League is a "pay" league. We all (14 of us) put in $25 and winner gets most of it, 2nd gets some. It was suggested we forfeit the money and donate it to the "Vols fund" for Vols and his wife. Most everyone jumped on board with this. Then, another member of the group bought a domain name and is creating a website... www.getwellvols.com. It will have a link to donate money to Vols and his family. That money will go to Goofy's account and he will send it on to Vols.

Basically, a group of people that have never met in person are coming together like a family to help one of our own.

Some examples:

Ok...by: Fenian's _Ballers
Oct 11 10:33am
We find the Fraternity that was Tub Racing and go beat the shit out of them..... That is some fucked up stuff..... I know the sentiment has been said in the past but I will reiterate..... For the last few years, about 4-5 somewhere around there, I have been in constant contact thorugh different leagues with all of you gerbil molesters...While my wife cannot understand what a DOORMAT is or why I keep coming to these rooms.... I do not have the guts to tell her it is to hear about Vols eatting roadkill stew, Deko bragging about Asian Titties or Goof and his psycho ex neighbor.... Bottom line, it is a release and I know that despite the differences, we could drink together without killing one another.... This has been a fucked up year, with Pill getting blown by Katrina, BKB losing his mother and now VOLS.....Makes you sit back and take stock in what we have. Jo, please remember that you and Brain are in all of our prayers and if there is anything that we can do from the various parts of the Country, please ASK! To the rest of you.....I do call you friends, dispearsed and scattered....but friends none the less.... There......Been meaning to say the for a while."

Just a Questionby: Fenian's _Ballers
Oct 11 10:48am
Anyone know what Fraternity was involved?? I ask because I am still involved with my fraternity, and if it was mine, phone calls can be made and have them help out in some way..... I do not know what but something??

Damn straight: that fraternity better be doing allby: MicroMart
Oct 11 10:49am
they can for the Neas family.

some of us may want to send moreby: bucanators
Oct 11 11:24am
I'd like to donate $50.. so maybe we can setup a seperate fund, either way we will do something.
I honestly have no idea who reads this blog... I doubt more than a couple people even know it exists... but if you come across this blog and read this post, take a minute to think. Maybe take a minute to help. Check out the website... donate a buck. I will be... the rest of the doormats will be... every little bit will help.

*UPDATE - 10/18/2005 @ 10:43 A.M. - After two weeks, Brian came out of the coma this morning. He is responding to voice commands (wiggle your fingers, raise your hand) and even gave his wife a hug. No verbal communication yet, but he is coming around. Most of last week was spent fighting Pnumonia (he had 104 temp. and had to be put under a cooling blanket to keep his body temp down) but they think they now have that under control. Everything is looking positive so far, keep the fingers crossed.