Happy Tuesday for what it's worth.

What does ipsum lorem dolor mean? I second the Happy Tuesday, and hope some of the bright side shows up for you today. Does spring send any glimmerings to LA?

Amen!

You're right...the grumpiness, it is EVERYWHERE. And inflation is not helping.

You may have something there. My library is painted that lovely gray color and lately it has felt like "angry customer day" every day. If your theory is correct, by this time next year (fingers crossed) I will have a new paint job AND lovely happy customers all of the time:)

arrrgh!

Yes ma'am...I agree and I also participate some times and I HATE it when I do that. I now have a stickee note on my monitor with tiny writing (so not everyone will think I'm either crazy, need to stop the self-helpy stuff or am not worthy to work in the corporate world) the words " you might be wrong". I hate to make a point about stuff (read 'nothing really') when really, people, their souls, their sense of self and place on this waterball is what is important. No? Yes. Thanks for the cool column today.

everybody, to your gardens! grown your own food and work off some of that tension.

also: it is amazing that you can post a paragraph about smoothies and have 111 comments (at this point).

you are teh awesome!

p.s. actually thanks for the cool columns all the days and I got lots of ideas for smoothies from yesterday's too.

You're absolutely right, Laurie. Everyone's grumpy here in the Inland Northwest - because we all drive big hulking SUVs (except me, of course, I drive a van) and gas is so expensive that people are flipping off the gas pumps. Well, at least one person is flipping off the gas pumps, and it just feels so good! Even if said "flipper" just did that in front of Grandma and Grandpa at the other pump, causing shocked inhalations of air and subsequent silence.

Excuse me, are you implying that gnomes are unsexy in their natural, god-given forms? Why should a gnome be required to morph into a male dancer named Fox in order for you to find him attractive? Just because gnomes may find you unattractive, must you malign them? I'll have you know that gnomes are sentient beings just like you and me. With feelings and everything. When we prick them do they not bleed? I don't know if I continue to read this "blog" with its constant gnome-bashing. Grow a heart, will you?

You're right, it's not just Encino-Adjacent and one block of downtown LA. It's nationwide, and possibly global. I've finally had to back away from some previously friendly knitting forums because they just started to turn nasty and mean.

Here's hoping eventually everyone just takes a deep breath and settles down. In the meantime, I will continue to refill the coffeepot and hope this all blows over soon.

You. Are. Awesome.

And that is scientific fact. :)

Knitting. A nice cup of tea, or glass of chardonnay, or in my case a lovely gin and tonic with a nice wedge of lime because I actually own a lime that isn't petrified yet, and knitting. With a really pretty yarn that feels good as you knit it. The day can't last forever, and I have knitting and beverage and tv planned for tonite. (I'm in Indiana. I will not be watching the minute-by-minute coverage of the primary election. Seen waaaaaaaaayyyy too much of that! They'll tell me the answer in the morning.)

No, it's everywhere. Even here in Cape Cod people are completely wretched at the grocery store.

Everyone just needs to lay off for a little bit and gain a little perspective. Maybe the angry banana people can help to show them that life could be a lot worse or something. ;)

I've noticed a lot of grumpiness here lately - I've even been taking part and I'm usually freakishly cheerful. I thought it was just because I switched from fully leaded soda to mostly unleaded green tea. A vacation in the bathtub alone sounds great - especially if there is wine!

LOL @ Madeleine

I love madeleine!

I blame OPEC.....

Yes, I agree everyone is a bit crazy at the moment. Seriously how can people get nasty at a yarn forum? And yet, it's happening. Maybe the government should pass out free cashmere instead of "stimulus" checks.

Crazy starts at home, but it's too damned expensive to travel. We are stuck in a crabby vortex. To the bathtub!
Do people really write letters maligning your choice of fruits?

I promise to laugh at your cameltoe joke.

Right on. I was no exception to this rule yesterday, when I proudly declared to the world that I hated everyone. Today I am practicing Serenity Now.

I love bananas. For the record.

I AM IN AGREEMENT WITH YOUR HYPOTHESIS.

I have been screaming-ass, throwing-things, cranky-crazy for so long now. It's like my usual PMS symptoms happened in March and NEVER WENT AWAY. And I can barely to go the grocery for fear that someone will yell at me for STANDING IN THEIR WAY!!!1!!!

I personally vote for the gnomes that turn into hotties as a solution to all of this, but I want mine to turn into that guy that plays the vampire in *Twilight*.

Or perhaps consider Spengler's Second Hypothesis of an ocean of pink goo, born of anger and hate, flowing just below the Earth's crust, feeding the anger and thus self-perpetuating without our knowledge...

I do see the logic in your science, though. I myself enjoy hanging up abruptly on insurance representatives and rattling the phone around in the receiver before it settles on the hang-up button. It's irrational.

I blame it on the goo.

I also get really angry on Mondays when my co-worker only makes half a pot of coffee. Granted, we only drink about half a pot of coffee and always pour out the other half at the end of the day... but still. Must we conserve EVERYTHING?!! Can't we even waste half a pot of coffee in the name of the well-being that making a full one brings? It's presence alone making us feel okay about everything else that's gone ape-sh*t? It's irrational, I know.

I blame it on the goo.

You are absolutely correct about the grumpiness. I think it's a combination of a terrible economy, the ridiculous price of everything and the lack of hope for any change regardless of what side of the political aisle you're on. We've (my family) been living on the financial edge now for years and it seems that everyone else in the US is catching up to us.

My solution? Try not to obsess about things that you can't change. It doesn't really work (sorry) but I feel very advicey today. What is that phrase....that which does not kill us only makes us stronger?

I vote for Rum in the water supply.

FYI - I work for a company FULL of Coffee Bandits. It got downright nasty around here mid-morning! We solved this by installing Coffee On Demand machines - they brew a single cup of coffee every time you press the button. AND (hold on to your hat) IT'S GOOD COFFEE! I think I'll go get a cup . . .

I Heart Sexy Gnomes!
Knit On!

NYC has also been affected even though gas prices don't affect us as much (or at least not as immediately). It's so strange because the weather has been so beautiful and yet my mood is so gloomy.

It certainly does appear to be widespread. I just wish the gnomes would take care of the housework and laundry so that we could take that time to do whatever it is that relaxes us. As it is, I am not getting in much of the relaxing or the household tasks. I want to cry.

You mean I am not alone in my grumpiness? Humph!

"that which does not kill us only makes us stronger?"

Or leaves us, mauled and bloody, on the side of the road.

Yeah, grumpiness is runing rampant on the East Coast, too. Or maybe it's just me.

I'd be happy to ship you our banananananas. I hate the things. Never know when to stop spelling it, for one thing. And then there's the taste...and texture. But my daughter is home for a couple of weeks and she is putting a serious dent in our banananana supply because she loves them. Heredity...it's weird.

And I broke my glasses on the way to work, so I am not only grumpy but also blurry.

Delurking to say: You're right - I AM cranky and argumentative. Perhaps because I don't know any sexy dancers at all, let alone ones that convert from a gnome. 2 months of vacation plus liberal applications of liquor would fix me - I don't know about the rest of the population. Clinical trial, anyone?

You are so right, except I think I am one of the crazy people since I did snap at a guy on the subway for littering. Maybe you should try knitting a Coffee Bandit Voodoo doll so you can yell at it (or poke it with pins) and get all that aggression out.

I'm afraid that most hot male dancers turn into gnomes, not vice versa. It's a sad world sometimes....

Aunt Purl: I made vegan cake that was too dry so I poured some rum on it to moisten the cake. I eat this cake for dessert after lunch. And now I'm happy.

I also admit to being a coffee pot bandit and I am nice enough to do it when no one else is around. I don't know how to operate the confounded thing! Why can't they just have easy drip ones instead of one with a million buttons? (Haven't banditted about in 2 months)

I don't know of gnomes turning into hot dancers...but there is a note writing one that cheered me up.

You would be correct that people are rather grouchy and this has nothing to do with the usual holiday grumpiness. It has a lot to do with the economy (which sucks) and food prices (which also suck). I think people should at least be thankful that they are not in the middle of food riots or some major disaster and have to rely on aide just for the basics.
I really wish I knew of a gnome that was named fox and was in my back yard and performed nightly for me but no such luck there. If I was that lucky then you would be invited.
I agree that everyone needs a collective vacation maybe the oil companies in their immense profits could spring for a holiday for the entire world. Ok you can snicker now if you like.

2 words: FULL MOON. Is it? I don't even know but that's what I always blame bizarre behavior (mine and anyone else's) on.

On a happier note, a question: Did your parents name your new baby brother yet? Did they use one of the commentor's suggestions? (Like mine maybe?? - not that I'm competitive or anything.)

I vote for bourbon in the water supply. Here in Montana we call that drink (bourbon and water) a "ditch" -- I'm sure it's meant to reference an irrigation ditch, but I think in this case it would mean just "ditching" all the grumpiness! :)

Maybe its a big secret campaign by the Center for Disease Control and the Surgeon General to get EVERYONE out of their cars and eating less? Maybe the bicycle companies and transit companies are in on it too? Maybe the Hostess cupcake company is in on it since basic food stuffs are growing in price but I bet twinkies are still $1 or less. Frankly, I think most twinkies in the store are circa 1950 - I mean, like how would we know?

Boo on grumpiness, boooooo.

I can't talk too loud though, I damn near killed my office mate for singing the Oompa-Loompa song the other day. I ended my explanation of why he should not sing that with "I'm not married to you, so I don't have to put up with your shit."

Stuff's been a little tense since then :)

I recommend eating fried twinkies, I had one on Saturday, and was still talking about it all excited on Monday. I have pictures of me eating it in front of the delightful culinary institution it came from.

Worked for me, I'm just saying :)

The crazy/grumpy/irrational weirdness is everywhere. Only not so irrational when you feel like putting your head between your knees and kissing your butt goodbye. That is what the current economy/world situation/general mess is doing to us around here, so it probly is happening with everybody. I feel about as cheery as the chicken in Chicken Run that knitted a noose. I am going to be positive and try to spread cheer instead of grumpyness. It's the only thing that works for me. Kill them with kindness!!! BTW how could someone write you a nasty e-mail about bananas??? Methinks they need a little more fiber in their diet. Don't let them get you down.

My upstairs neighbor is RUDE in the noisy sense. However, she is a cat owner (which MIGHT explain why she needs to vacuum at 7am on weekdays) and she had good taste in music so I cut her some slack on those merits.... until this past Sunday morning at 7am when I awoke to her blasting music through her completely open window (open to an echoing courtyard where EVERYONE in the building has bedroom windows). Let me repeat: 7 in MORNING on SUNDAY. I'd had it, so I flew out of bed, out my front door, up the stairs and banged on her door. Apparently her music was so loud she didn't hear it, so I banged again. When she opened the door, she was fully dressed & completely surprised to see me. So I explained politely that it was "7AM ON SUNDAY.... PLEASE, TURN YOUR MUSIC DOWN, OR CLOSE YOUR WINDOW." To which she replied, "Oh, sure." And I said, "THANK YOU" and left. I have to say, remaining polite while letting my tone of voice and body language do the real comunicating was extremely satisfying.

around these parts, we just kill each other. no, seriously, literally.

if we get upset at anything, it should be centered on poverty, war, and injustice here in the good ole USA.

but you made me smile with your post. so thank you, in case no one has said it to you today.

y'all may return now to your batshit crazy worlds.

PS - I am re-reading your book cause I need a bit of sanity right now.

What I have against bananas:

They give me insane bellyaches of doom, and the smell of them makes me mildly nauseated (it was worse a decade ago, though).

smokeyJoe is RIGHT ON - tend that garden, baby, and no worries! just fresh strawberries (did someone say smoothie?) and tomatoes and peppers ... hey, doesn't the capsaicin in peppers release feel-good endorphins anyway?

While I like the idea of putting something in the water supply to make everyone happier, I'm not sure we can convince enough people to "drink the kool-aid" *smirk*

As for GNOMES dancing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN38LuoMAR8

You are welcome *grin*

When I need to escape reality... I play World of Warcraft!

Saucygrrl -- "Angry Banana People" !!! Now my Cinco de Mayo hangover vision has everyone with bananas for heads.

Scotch might help.

We over here in Studio City adjacent (I'm using the royal 'WE" because crazy? I'm on that.)believe that
when you have no banana for your smoothie, Ice Cream
makes a suitable and happy replacement.

Same for coffee.

"But we should all agree right now to leave the coffee pot full at all times because until they invent a hybrid version of me that runs on part electric, part caffeine I really need at least that particular cup to runneth over."

BRILLIANCE.

I called vacation on Sunday and took a bath for nearly 2 hours & read a trashy novel while I did it. It was the best & cheapest vacation I've taken in a long time. I think you're onto something with the bathcation.

"Much like charity, true crazy starts at home." You're my new hero. I'm totally quoting that to my therapist.

love. you.

Ah yes, the cranky has spread far and wide. I, myself, nearly ate my coworkers head with a side of artichoke dip this morning.

While yesterday was a definitely average day, today I'm happy. I'm cheerful even. I hugged the baby bunnies, I played with the dog, I cuddled the cat, I voted (Indiana primaries) and it's gorgeous out.

Tomorrow will suck because today was too nice. Maybe I should stay home and post a warning on the door.

If there's rum in the water, what will happen to it when I run it through my Pur water filter? Will there still be rum? And why can't we have it in Coke instead of water?

There are still some people who are cheerful, but I have to admit that it's becoming increasingly difficult to be happy.

Gas and all other prices are up, another two of my friends with a small business went out of business last week (and I hurt for them), along with a list of other friends who are also small business owners that have been forced out of business.

And I've been forced into retirement (whether I want it or not) with a very low income. There are so few jobs out there that nobody wants to give one to someone who's 64 years old. I suppose I should be glad that I have any income at all.

And everywhere I look, this is happening to other people, too.

Everywhere, the little guy is getting kicked while he's down.

And this is reflected in people's attitude. Unfortunately.

I wish the world peace and happiness.

That includes YOU!

Wait! I have a better vacation for you - Pioneer Woman is planning something I think you could get behind (what with the chaps & all)

Aww - that's just so sweet - the whole world has gone grumpy to be in tune with my hormones. But I betcha I can out-grump you all today!

I've often wondered how you put up with the "advice" people leave here. It seems so intrusive. But maybe that's my crazy - unwanted advice really pisses me off. I guess that makes it my crazy for sure.

Hang in there and remember, cats think we are imperfect no matter what we do, and they are the ones that count.

My scientific observations lead me to conclude that you are a little bit crazy. But i a good way: in a way that means I don't have to expend energy being crazy, myself. I can read about you doing it and I feel all relieved and cathartic.

I may have been argumentative, etc. but you have a great way of making me laugh. How can anyone laugh & be angry at the same time? Its not possible. Thanks! :)

Obviously the Coffee Pot Bandit has cloning abilities. He is here at my workplace, too :-Z

And I totally agree with everything you said. 100%.

A friend of mine just told me a story yesterday about two old (very old) ladies nearly coming to blows at the bank, because one lady was taking too long at the window. I think it illustrates your point nicely. I'm also sad that I missed it.

Girl! Come home! Come SOUTH!!!

We're always polite: you know that, 'cause you, too, were raised to be polite no matter what! I was running the other day and the mailman waved and said "Hey" to me ... three times. We passed as he was going North and I South, then again as he went South and I North, and then again on the next street over. It clearly did not occur to EITHER OF US we had fulfilled our politness obligation the first or even the second time.

We're just ... nice.

So go visit somebody in the South, or even South-Adjacent, and folks will call you "hon" and you'll feel all better. I promise!

Embracing the crazy here...because, really, if not on your blog, then where?

It's not just the economy. It's a national case of post-9/11 PTSD--and I think there's no cure.

Yikes. Maybe it's time for a banana-rum smoothie of my own?

What the heck is THAT supposed to mean?!?!?!
(I'm smiling and winking cause I'm making a joke)

Laurie -- this post made me laugh out loud! I couldn't agree with you more that everybody has the grumpies. It just happens sometimes. Something to do with hormones/moon phases/and the evil Y chromosome.

I, for one, have been taking long baths every night when I get home from work (after I walk the dog). Last week I went to Amazon.com and bought a bunch of comic books: Foxtrot, Stone Soup, Baby Blues, and I plan to unabashedly read them in my bathtub as soon as received with a good glass of wine at my side. And I will laugh. Because that Jason in Foxtrot cracks me up. And I don't care if people think that's lowbrow. I'll pick up War and Peace in a few more weeks when I feel better.

We all cope the best we can doing what we can to help the others cope. I have put a post-it in my cube, directly at eye level, that says the following:

1. Smile.
2. Breathe.
3. Go Slowly.

Sometimes it just helps to write it down to remind yourself. But not if you don't want to, of course.

And stop watching the news. Bad juu-juu there. Can't do anything about it. Just help those closest to you by making the coffee. That's how I look at it. Mother Theresa said if you can't feed the world, feed the one closest to you. (or something like that.) Some days that just means you don't kill everyone. Or the one closest to you. Just Smile, Breathe, and go Slowly.

Hang in there!

Why are you slinging the word "batshit" around in a humorous way? It is a serious medical condition and not just for your amusement. Do you realize people die every day from this condition? Now if you will excuse me, I must go back to drinking my fourth cup of coffee today.

I've been cranky but then I usually am so it's hard to say.

Laurie, I agree with you. People are grumpy, confrontational, on edge. We're worried and in a financial pickle. All we can do to fight these grumpy leanings is to smile in spite of it all and try to be gentle.

But if someone really did send you an email scolding you about what you put in smoothies, I hope that person is reading right now because WHOEVER YOU ARE, YOU SUCK. Laurie is just a nice lady getting her blog on, and you are lame and maybe cuckoo enough to get worked up over this banana thing with LITTLE OL' LAURIE? Come on, get over yourself. You're part of the problem.

//Rant against Meanies.

Can I volunteer to be the person that you visit in the South?? Even though I'm a transplant I make a mean batch of biscuits and gravy and a fantastic banana pudding.

Please??

I'm with Risha on the World of Warcraft... nothing like blowing up a few things (figuratively of course) to make you feel better.

Totally with you on the cranky grumpiness! On the one hand, happy to know I'm not the only one, but on the other hand... it's kind of... well... I'm sure you know what I mean!

sigh... need me some kitty cuddles now

AMEN! This is actually the first time i've been able to laugh about it. i've been trying to figure out how the hell to get out of the GrumpyPants for about a week now. i like your reasonings - and scientifically, of course, i am sure that you are Right. On. Target.

Oops. Not banana pudding. How about lemon chess pie??

I think we knitters -- and crocheters, can't forget the awesome Crochet Dude -- should start a Be Cheerful, Dammit! campaign. Enough with the grumpiness, people of the world (including my significant other who shall remain nameless but whose name begins with Kim and ends with . . . I'd better stop)! People in Myanmar excluded.

i'm not cranky, i'm just depressed. i found a receipt in my car this morning. a little over a year ago i paid $2.20/gallon for gas.

and at work, they aren't supplying us with tissues anymore.

I second the motion for rum in the ocean, I mean the water supply. Well, I like the first part better, it's more rhymie.

Tell us your cameltoe joke, please. ;)

Also, am I the only one who wonders what "Encino-adjacent" means? Is that the name of the town actually or does it just mean that Encino is adjacent to something and if so, to what is it adjacent?

I feel the crazy, too. I went to my pilates class last night- my favorite place for calm and quiet- and there was another woman there who WOULDN'T STOP TALKING. It's a good thing that my shoes were over by the door, because I might have thrown one at her otherwise.

And speaking of always being right, I have this, too. A few years ago I was absolutely convinced that Hurricane Ivan was going to hit us in Texas. I knew it. It was off in the Atlantic already, and I was still sure it was going to hit us. So what did it do? Form up again, turn around, cross Florida, and hit Texas. All because I HAVE TO BE RIGHT. Now that's crazy.

If only we could figure out a way to get the coffee pot bandit to do his bandit work on the staff kitchen sink dirty dishes... (how is it that the coffee pot can be empty and the sink overfloweth?) then the depression would lift and the sun would shine through.

I was in Congo last year and I try to remember how ham cost $4/100 grams when most people make $1/day when I'm tempted to kick the gas pump's numbers that go up so magically quick.

Wow. Someone emailed you about the fact you don't want to use a banana in every smoothie. Pretty scary.
I've been going out of my way to be pleasant to any service type workers I come in contact with, people on the phone, whatever, because it does seem like people in general are just crabby. I hope it makes their day just a tiny bit more pleasant and it makes me feel better too.

Double AMEN! Have a great Tuesday, and a glass of wine!

I'm weighing in from Canada to say that if not global, the crankies are definitely international. I manage a call centre and all of us have been exceptionally cranky for the past couple of weeks and a lot of our callers are being way grumpier than usual.

Our gas prices are worse than yours but our economy is in better shape than yours currently, so I have no idea what the common denominator is. I have been hiding out at home, redecorating, having long baths, reading and watching favorite old shows on DVD. It doesn't help me stay sane once I leave the house, but for at least a few hours every night I feel normal. Thankfully I have a vacation scheduled next week so I am going to run away from it all for 10 days, I wish I could bring all of you with me on a CAP official break!

As for the prozac dispensers in the hallways or rum in the water, supposedly here in Phily we have a lot of happy meds in the water and everyone is still grumpy. I had to stop myself from yelling at midwestern tourists the past few days who keep stopping on the sidewalks blocking the way and almost tripping a crazy person (me) who was walking home from the subway. Or the ones who refuse to be courteous and move (at least one person please!) for a runner going the opposite way. Do three people really need to take up the entire sidewalk?

OMG!! I SOOO badly needed to read that I am not the only one who is a) acosting co-workers about coffee and b) experiencing a far greater amount than normal of crankypants people!
THANK YOU!!!!

When you posted that photo of the truck parked crooked in the parking lot, I was astonished at the vitrol in the comments. Shoot out his tires? Key his truck? C'mon. Then I thought, well, it is LA so people are just like that when they have to live in LA. Then I realized that the comments were from everywhere, not just LA and that surprised me even more.

But maybe everyone is like that these days. I think it all has to do with feeling that "things" are out of control and there's nothing I can do about it. Substitute economy, gas prices, war, food prices, global warming, empty coffee pots for "things" and everyone can find something to be powerless about.

I happened upon your blog while looking for a hat pattern (Thank you!). I come back almost every day to see what other genious you come up with. It's posts like this that make my day. Even though I am one of those particularly cranky people at the moment, you put a smile on my face and I reallly needed it.

And the coffee pot bandit would be so toast if he were in my office. You don't mess with people and their coffee.

I realized last night as I was doing the dishes that I was singing a little song to myself with the lyrics, "I hate everybody in the whole wide world" over and over again. That can't be a good thing.

And did the banana e-mailer even read your entry to note that you didn't say anything against the allegedly maligned banana?

Well, here's a nice story for you...

I was walking up to the train station this morning, and noticed an older gentleman who was periodically stopping, bending over, standing up, and then walking again as he made his way through the parking lot. I couldn't figure out what he was doing from where I was.

When I got a little closer to him, I saw that he was PICKING UP LITTER as he walked through the parking lot!!! When I got even closer, I saw that his hands were completely full of other people's bottles, food wrappers, and cans.

How awesome is that? He made me believe there is hope for us on this little planet, because you're right, the whole world seems loopy at the moment.

We could all learn a thing or two from him, I think.

Its the Chinese Year of the Rat and everything it really wild during that time and it makes people nasty. Or so I've been told. I myself seem to be fine, unless you are a telemarketer then I release my hidden dragon. But only then.

I like the rum idea!

Laurie, I totally agree with your hypothesis and i am a dr so it must therefore be true. It is also global- it has reached scotland at least. Our petrol is now about $8 a gallon and we scots like a good moan about anything(especially money and weather). but it does seem to have reached epidemic proportion. we call it warp spasm and i think it may fatal.

I'm new to your blog and I think it's so cute! Even when you talk about grumpy people, the way you say it puts a smile on my face. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

We don't litter in Canada. LOL

I think it is just the US that is going crazy. You've been dumped on for almost 8 years and the end is in sight ... I hope.

I'm for rum in the water supply. When can it start!?!

I'm at that point also - - I'm so damn cranky right now, no one can stand to be around me.

Heck, I can't even stand to be around MYSELF! I wish there was a wat to be in a different room from myself so that I didn't have to put up with my crap! :-P

love (1)

agree (1) love (1)

Two people honked their horns at me last week! For West Virginia, that's a whole lot. For the 2 years that we've lived here, no one had ever honked at me before. Must be the grumpiness plague.

Oh, last week I got wigged out when the harmless, dirty-old man at work said hello to me!! Completely flipped out! So, I'm with you, Nice Cat Lady!!

Vacation in a bathtub ALMOST alone sounds just lovely! With liquor!!

You're the best!!!

I was totally thinking the same thing. I vote the for "free floating anxiety" theory.

Also...yes please, we'd like to hear the camel toe joke.

http://doesthisblogmakeuslookfat.com

oy- people really gave you a hard time about the banana thing, and lectured you about the movie recommendation?? I think I'm always moved to comment when you mention things like that- it's like we're all so full of negativity that we just can't help it overflowing and getting all over the people unfortunate enough to be in our way at the time. I blame the govmint! (but then, I usually do...)
If only we could all be overflowing with love! I recently read an article about a Dr. who worked with the criminally insane- he simply read through their files while thinking "I love you" and "I'm sorry" (as in -for their situation). The results were reportedly astonishing. I've been trying to do that with the people around me who are "behaving badly", although I'll admit that sometimes it devolves into "I love you and I'm sorry you're so annoying!!" That one works especially well for said govmint. ;o

Please translate ipsum lorem dolar. Oh, please! I've just spent half an hour on the web trying unsuccesfully to do it myself. I know - way too much time on my hands.

Oh, and if you are no longer disgruntled does that mean you are gruntled? Doesn't sound like much of an improvement.

Hope you run into the 2.7% that isn't out of sorts today. You deserve a break!

Amen, sista!

Hey I have some linky goodness for you

First I found this on Oprah and am loving it!!!

http://www2.oprah.com/spiritself/omag/ss_omag_200801_joy.jhtml

I've started singing when I start to get upset and it's awesome for knocking me out of my grumpyness.

Secondly these are the best 30sec ever produced on TV

Swiss family robinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHgNti-mXRQ

Addicted to love girls
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0QM8nXO4pY

Huh. I've been oddly cranky (and whiny!) lately and find myself apologising about every fifteen minutes to someone for not being myself.

If everybody is cranky (and like bad driver days, you know sometimes these thing travel in packs), I blame it on barometric pressure.

Do you suppose Encino-Adjacent is the barometric centre of the universe?

Mmm-hmm. I've seen it everywhere. Just today, I was wondering why so many people seem justified in hating - I mean, rabidly, actively hating - Tom Cruise, whom they've never met and don't know. I don't understand.

I'm not cranky. *ducking and running* I do think regular meditation has a lot to do with that, and recognizing the only person I have control over is myself.

Well I got a good chuckle out of this entry. And I bajillionth the motion of the vacation in the bathtub. When do we start?

Me? I'm grumpy at my kids, at stupid drivers, at a few deserving people at work, and at my inability to knit and bicycle at the same time. It's finally beautiful up here (northern new england) and I *should* be happy. I don't get it..

I bet it's the moon, and the economy and the direction our world is heading in and the fact that I hear so much about Hillary and Barack that I am fooled into thinking that the stupid war isn't continuing and more americans are getting killed or wounded... which should be on the news every night until all our troops come home. My kids don't deserve me to be grumpy... I need to knit more.... Maybe it will help

It could be worse: you could be on a diet that forbids coffee.

I once saw one of those "news updates" consisting, in its entirety, of the anchor's looking very seriously at the camera and saying, "One of the decade's funniest men is dead. We'll tell you who at 11." I swear to God. (Paul Lynde.)

Anne at 2:09-- I think it's really "lorem ipsum dolor" and it's fake Latin (greeking) that typesetters and designers use for showing where the copy should be in a layout. Here's the wikipedia link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorem_ipsum

Thanks Laurie for a very funny and thoughtful post. People are grouchy in NC too....

Everyone is grumpy here too. We have an excuse because we've been locked inside all winter. This winter lasted about 22 months longer than usual and my tulips opened TODAY. Drew has photos of things blooming I won't see for another two months. We're all pale and cranky because it started raining as soon as it got warm enough to go outside.

When we do get warm weather, I plan to host a wine and munchies party for the girls so we can get together, get potched and laugh in my backyard.

My sister is in Iraq for the third time and should be getting out this month. Instead she's there for another 13 months. She's hiding in bunkers because rockets keep flying around. I've found the best way to avoid going into a homicidal rage is to skip the news. If it isn't a comedy, I'm not interested. I'm on a media diet. Crime shows, reality tv, election coverage and anything involving Britney Spears is strictly forbidden.

Trust me, it helps.

I agree...people do seem to be more grumpy. The other day I was shopping at the local Food Lion grocery store. I was being nice to my environment and using my reusable grocery sack. Unfortunately for me it was one from Trader Joes. A man yelled at me in the parking lot for shopping at Food Lion with a Trader Joes bag! And he didn't even work at there!

Of course I'm not a quick witted person, so I didn't think of a comeback until I had gotten in my car. Do you think Food Lion would rather I shop at Trader Joes using a Food Lion sack?

I thought I was the source of the grumpy in my world. I have been oscillating between plain old cranky and vengeful wrath for a month now.

Maybe it's not my fault though. Maybe it's global, but I just don't know.

I probably would have offered to teach him how to make coffee. That is the sort of thing I do, and I know I don't have a clue how to operate the coffee makers around here. I assume we have people who go around and do it.

My cranky doubles when I get to work and find out that my co-worker called out sick - again!
*&*&*((*&^^

I'm just glad that some of those crazy people are willing to blog about it and give me a chuckle. My day was spent dealing with grad students and professors who ignore what I ask them to do and the deadlines they need to meet. And my coffee comes from a student run store which is closed till June! Oh well, I'll survive (I hope) and I thank you for the laugh. BTW - does the gnome's name have to be Fox?

I'm a little lost for words that someone would actually reprimand you about bananas and a movie recommendation -oy, people, lighten up. (And this coming from me, who lately hates everyone and is perpertually cranky). Some people just have to spout off about everything, or nothing - makes me wanna slap 'em.

How annoying, you actually caused me to Goggle ipsum lorem dolar. Now don't I feel foolish. Thanks for the giggle

So, you are saying we are basically heading into the opposite of the Summer of Love? The Summer of Cranky.

Not quite the same ring to it but I think we could come up with a logo (the finger?) and start interviewing the documentary film makers who will record this event.

At least I know it isn't just me...

And just a funny cat story to make you smile:
http://hopedoesnotdisappoint.blogspot.com/2008/05/dumbest-cat-ever.html

I blame it all on Casual Friday-- the death of decorum.

I turned to a coworker during a presentation today and theater-whispered "do you HAVE to swallow so LOUD??!!!"

Just doing my part.

OMG YOU ARE SO TOTALLY RIGHT!!! I have been driving my grouchy jobless resentful self around lately wondering why I am so grouchy and resentful and thinking hot unhelpful that is for the joblessness. At least I know it's not just me. It's the moon. Or the bananas. But for the record, dry coffee pots are VERY SERIOUS OFFENSES.

To quote Randy Newman, "It's a jungle out there. Poison in the very air you breathe."

Hee

Wow, I'm glad it's not just me. I've noticed around here (which is about as far as you can get from Encino-Adjacent) that people are a bit more shrewish, a bit more weary, and a bit more fed up.

Maybe Mercury is in retrograde. That's what people usually say to me whenever I'm having a rough week, although I'm not entirely persuaded.

Doing my best to not be outwardly grumpy. Taking "me" time to get to the heart of the grumpy. (stupid job)Trying to be understanding of everyone's situation.(stupid things outside of our control) Acknowledging everyone I come into contact with: hello, what's up, or even just a smile. Presto chango, to see their faces do a 180 grumpy to who is this crazy chik is amazing. And sometimes the person doesn't make coffee cuz well, they don't know how. When we came into that situation at my work I showed them where things were & what to do & eureka! im second to be notified of the existence of a fresh pot. Hang in there baby! Hugs all around! And wine! & yarn, cats, etc. Lissa, a lil to the south of youse in the worlds finest city (ha) SD, ravelry: notforkitties

Don't think grumpyocity is necessarily tied to the economy, our economy is booming here in good old Albertie and everyone is tres CRANKY! I think they're annoyed because they can't get to the stores (in their big gas guzzlin' SUVs & pickup trucks) to spend their wads of cash fast enough... Maybe it's the wads of cash in their pockets that's making them cranky... hmmm... sadly, I don't have that problem & I'm still cranky.

Hiya Laurie,

This morning, I took your advice and blendered me a smoothie. Sipping its cool goodness on my way to work seemed to smooth out my day. No crazy hunger pangs or bread cravings to derail me from the tasks at hand. I glided right towards lunch and was so centered, calm, collected...it was a Miracle! Seriously. Strawberries, ice, vanilla soy yogurt....who knew?

Keep being you, just the way you is. =)

I am peaceful. I am happy. I remain calm and usually do not maim my co-workers. (Unless they ask for it, of course. Goes without saying.)

I am medicated!

Honestly, you're right, the world in general is nuts and my own things in particular just got too darn stressful. I don't think I'm generally a batshit crazy person, just your average crazy person so this will have to work for now. Viva la Prozac!

"do you have to swallow so loud..." that was very funny!
I spent my Sunday banging inches...INCHES of snow off of my gazebo so the roof wouldn't cave in! Its May! It's nice out today, 70F, so all good...serenity now. But also, I used the words "pissed off" and "tore him a new one" to my boss today on the phone. To my BOSS! Not about him thankffully I haven't completely lost my mind or I would be on Monster right now, but I am seriously losing my Deepak and am going to have to reread that book (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success) whilst in the bath with liquor. Most excellent suggestion Laurie. Love your writing.

Sorry :) I am not grumpy these days. Where I live the sun has finally decided to shine and that my dear woman makes for good times in this usually gray and drizzly province.

Besides, I just finished your book, finished knitting a small pouch for my iPod which I plan to felt tonight AND I got a sketch done to watercolor.

Good times!

omg. You are awesome. I was thinking maybe it was just me being at an in-between stage of life; not knowing where I'll be in a few months and totally hating my current gig as a middle school math teacher at a totally dysfunctional school where at least half the staff is quitting.

But I think the economy and well, everyone being grumpy kinda adds to that.

Wow. I just thought is was me and my "Gddmmt I want my thesis over with NOW" craziness. So everyone else is going batsh*t too?
Lordy. Okay, let me just make up for my part of the communal crazies but saying:
#1-I LOVE Gnomes- Gonna give the one at my in-laws house a fancy new sports coat on the sly when we visit this summer--The least I can do for the little guy for watching over the folks. What do you guys think about a funky neon green and pink houndstooth or a regency brocade look?
#2- I HEART bananas-- but frozen yogurt owns a bit of my fickle omnivorous heart too. But that's okay, the three of us have an understanding and I spend alternate days with each and sometimes we get all crazy and have a threesome. Can't a girl love more than one?
#3- I suggest a Crazy Aunt Purl war on Cranky! Let's each of us go out and commit a slightly off beat act of random niceness (or nice randomness) and report back. Give a gnome a massage. BUY someone a nice new gnome (and leave it anonymously in their garden!). Advocate bannana (or not) based niceness in your office by baking/brining banana bread- make it psychedelic with a swirl of weird food coloring! Any other suggestions?

Sounded like a good movie to me. I could watch it with my nieces. And that Amanda Bynes is a cutie.

CAP -

You only need the first 40 seconds of this clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzToNo7A-94

bad news: i'm OTR. good news: i'm not pregnant or menopausal.

this post reminds me of the song, "don't worry, be happy". sometimes daily cr@p gets the best of us. i'm just now coming out of my insomnia and stomach knot phase....

ooo, another song pops into mind from a musical,no less..
"got no diamonds, got no pearls, still i think i'm a lucky girl.
i got the sun in the morning and the moon and night...."

name the musical (w/ the help of google) and you get a free gift to perk up your day from mckay.

sorry, i'm babbling, i know.
better than bitching, though, hmm?
mck.

p.s. do you think coffee pot bandit leaves it empty because he's a guy? the thought crossed my mind. still...you can be happy your company provides free coffee. it's a big issue where i work.no free coffee to keep our customers' rates low....can you guess where i work?

Wow - I definitley thought it was just me and the people at my job (and i work at a nonprofit. we are suppossed to be joyfully HELPING people), but it is kind of gratifying to know that people everywhere are batshit right now.
something seriously is in the water. and whatever it is, it should very definitley be replaced with rum.
thanks for giving me something to commiserate with...

Wow. Yes, it's global, assuming Iraq is still part of the world, as I've been wondering why after more than 6 months here, I'm just now getting totally depressed and cranky, now when I'm actually getting closer to going home! If I can blame it on free-floating atmospheric batshitness, I'm good with that, as bathtubs, rum, kittens, gardens, and sweet husbands are all non-players here, and finding something to blame as a cause is almost as good as having a cure.

I agree, it's definitely a stressful time. Gas prices are high, traffic in L.A. is worse by the day, many people are without work, those with it are afraid they'll lose ut, many are losing their homes, others are afraid of losing their homes, the war sucks and seems utterly out of our control, California is bust with no end in sight--taxes are going up as hospitals close. Really, we're on a roll and in great need of something bright and hopeful to sprout real soon. Plus, no more pet deaths this year would be good...

I have noticed that when I am in a bad mood, or grumpy ( and I am a person with no problem expressing myself and being a bit confrontational )that I seem to notice and invite the same attitude back at me. I have lately been working on being deliberately nice and kind to obnoxious people, especially clerks and cashiers and have noticed that even if the clerk does not respond accordingly, the people in line behind me do ! They seem to relax and be a little more friendly...sort of a 'Pay It Forward' thing...I have even been nice to insurance agents on the phone and people who I do NOT want to be nice to...nice can be infectious, and I suspect grumpy is even more infectious ! K.B.
I love your blog and check it every day ! How is the knitting going ? How are the kitties ?

I totally come here for all things scientific and appreciated this thought provoking (wait, why are you PROVOKING ME?!?!) post. Wheeee, totally experiencing this same 'love' over here in Washington D.C.

We live in a crazy world.

I hear ya sister! One of the very first things I said yesterday when I got to work was "I woke up grumpy so don't push your luck". It went downhill from there

Whoa-hooo, Nelly! It ain't just on your coast, darlin'. I'm actually kind of relieved that the batshit isn't somehow all in my head or -- worse -- all my fault.

General sense of impending doom with a frachetty tinge of underlying panic, check.

It must come down to, we're all feeling threatened, which makes us defensive.

Suddenly, the weirdness is starting to make sense. This is actually helpful. Thanks for getting it out in the open!

Now, what to do...

I think the grumpies are everywhere. Right down to my 6 & 9 year-olds. Hope this changes soon - I am quite tired of it.

This post made me holler out loud. So glad to have discovered you through librarianlee.
How crazy am I? I quit my job and didn't have another one to go to last August because I knew I was getting ready to do something to my boss that would put me in the news headlines.
How crazy am I? I do the breathing techniques I learned in Lamaze classes at least four times a day. How crazy am I? I find a place to walk every day.

Hope it helps for all of us to let you know, you ain't hardly alone.

I think you are projecting your grumpiness onto others. I think you need a holiday again! I loved your Rome posts, and it would make me less grumpy if you could go somewhere else and write about it - and it would help you, too, and who knows how many others? It's the least you can do for the planet. Europe is too far, I'm thinking Buenos Aires? Send us all an e-postcard!

Thought it was just me. Yeah, my knee is sore from when somebody slammed a door into it two weeks ago, and my tooth aches and the insurance doesn't want to pay to get it fixed so I have a toothache every waking moment, and I've been coughing since Feb. 19th, and I live in a place that has no damn bathtub. Did that give me an excuse to give a dithering but nice old lady the Face yesterday? (My family named the Face. It has caused adolescent boys who reduce other adults to tears to stop dead in their tracks, gaze at their shoes, and mumble, "I'm sorry.")

At least my Noro Kureyon is coming from yarnmarket.com today - because my LYS didn't have any because it's a "winter yarn" - I didn't kill her either but my nasty voice inside my head said "not shopping here anymore."

I say more knitting or crocheting for everyone! And a rum and coke on me.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who has noted this phenomenom, or who sighs for a vacation.

You are so right. I've noticed it myself, even here in the polite state of TN! People are terse and curt and confrontational. Vodka usually does the trick for me. (smile) Then again, my head almost exploded the other day because I have a co-worker who constantly talks with a mouth full of food. I suddenly found myself wanting to put my fist in her mouth, too. Is that wrong? I better go make a martini.

You're so right on. Everyone needs to take yoga or take up knitting to chill them out!

By the way, should you ever start a band, you should totally call it Empty Coffee Cup of Rage.

At least your nickname isn't Pameltoe. Everyone laughs at that.

My solution? And I know that this sounds totally hippie, Susie-Sunshine, shut-the-hell-up-and-stop-being-perky etc but it works. And I'm by nature a grumpy cynical loner.

Pay it forward. Do something nice for someone. I held the door open at my office building this morning, for the delivery guy bringing supplies to the coffee shop in the lobby. He was so grateful that he didn't have to manage double doors in addition to a heavily loaded handcart, he thanked me twice. I felt good, he felt good, maybe the people who jostled past him to get into the building thot twice about maybe holding the door for someone the next time.

It's a small thing. Make eye contact when you thank the grocery cashier. Hold the door for someone (I get a kick out of doing this for middle aged white guys - it's hilarious cuz they almost look around trying to find the trick, they never expect it).

I agree. Everyone is cranky, and needs Prozac!

My grumpiness factor goes up x4 every time I hear or read the words "Clinton" or "Obama". Not because I'm a conservative, but because I am SO SICK of election coverage that I want to sledgehammer every television in spitting distance. We've been hearing about the election since early 2007, as I recall, which is now over a year ago, and we've still got 6 months to go.

I ranted about this many months ago on Slate's website, asking them to please just shut the hell up about the election until at least next August, and another commenter was helpful enough to inform me that this is one of the most important elections of our century! And I should definitely care about its outcome! And why was I sticking my head in the sand about this essential key issue! All elections are important, stupid, and I was just asking for the coverage to relent a little until it's actually relevant to people other than political analysts.

Okay, that got out of hand. Sorry. I agree that the economy, the war, the erosion of our civil liberties, and the fact that a war over oil has somehow made oil appallingly expensive are probably to blame for the grumpiness, as well as the fact that here in Mid-East Coast the weather CAN'T MAKE UP ITS DAMN MIND, but my personal cranky point is the grinding, neverending election coverage.

And I agree with everyone else, whoever has the time and energy to berate you about a nonexistent slight on the noble banana is not worth listening to.

End Rant.

((Sigh))

Yes. The little boys who turn to their mom in church and argue in a LOUD voice, 'Daddy says I'm talking and I'M NOT TALKING!' will eventually grow up to be men who fill a gas tank.

Sometimes they forget to use their 'inside voice' and their 'reasonable thinking.'

You are correct; it is national if not global crankiness.

We had a very sad incident in Southern New Hampshire, where a woman intentionally struck and killed a man with her car, in part over a Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.

Tragic and inexcusable.

Allison--"Empty Coffee Cup Of Rage"....its just stunningly brilliant. Beautiful. Perfect.

I had one of those this very morning when I noted that, for some reason, the (Insert Gigantic Corporate Coffee Monger) near my home was not open at the time I was up and ready for them to be open.

It made no sense. Its coffee. Open your doors at 4AM. Seriously. SOMEBODY will buy coffee. I was there at 5 minutes to six, and I desperately needed you...but you let me down, man...

Just please put GIGANTIC lighted arrows pointing the way through your drive through cuz, really, we are in no condition to navigate.

And uh...that ultimately had nothing to do with what we were talking about here, did it? HA!

I love the vacation idea, just, not the crowd at the resort idea, so I thought what might be fun is that we take a vacation from our jobs/lives by doing someone ELSE's job, or living their life for a couple of weeks...what do you think? Just, take the corporate lawyer and have him digging ditches and eating cold cut sandwiches on white bread for a period of 14-21 days...

I have a crappy bathtub.

I feel the need to share this.

It's too short, too shallow, and completely, totally, non-replaceable. All of my neighbors in their identical cookie-cutter houses complain about their bathtubs, too. Those who have tried tell me that the bathtub cannot be removed without removing the entire house from around it. Even that probably wouldn't work. They could take the wrecking ball to the whole row of houses, and what would remain after the dust settled would be a row of identical short, shallow, crappy gray bathtubs (they started out gray; unlike me, I assume my neighbors probably clean from time to time.) sticking up in the air at the former second-floor level, each attached to a stand of piping like a blighted lily on a stem.

Besides, I don't see how people with cats can find baths relaxing. Mine insist on pacing back and forth on the edge of the tub, causing me to live in fear of the moment when a paw will slip, precipitating the puddytat into the water, from which she will make the hastiest possible exit, leaving me looking like somebody who tried to slit her wrists under the influence of too many hallucinogens and a fanciful sense of anatomy. Restful? No.

Yes, this is a cranky post, but I've been cranky for decades, so I'm not noticing a difference, personally. Now if you'll excuse me, my coffee vat is running low. Y'all have the bestest day ever, y'hear?

I'm just glad to see someone else has noticed it. I've been feeling lately like I'm pretty normal on my own... it's everyone else who is driving me crazy! Honestly, I'm considering therapy so I can go talk to someone about how everyone else's problems are affecting me! Ha.

Bless you Phebe for putting me out of my misery and thanks for the link. I feel much better!

grumpy is contagious and spreads faster than a forest fire in the outback! My husband wakes up with it every morning, in turn infects me with it, in turn I snap at the poor children who are in turn - infected.....there is one cure for me, my daughter jumping into our bed, early in the morning, before hubby opens his mouth to spread the infection and she says "mommy I love you, you are my favouritist mommy in the whole world"
TA DAAAA....I'm cured before infection even sets in!

I am an alien, and I will gladly join your research on the secret nocturnal activities of gnomes so we can gather multiple perspectives, and share co-author credit throughout the scientific community.

hee!hee!

in defense of mr-drain-the-coffee-pot-dude, i have to say that it's possible he's been asked to NEVER make the coffee. i know it's fully within the realm of possibility because my brother actually has been asked to please never again attempt to run the coffee maker at work.

granted, such people are rare. you're right, he's probably never flooded the kitchen with poorly made coffee and is just oblivious. hope he changes his ways soon!

You are so right as usual! I have been cranky for two weeks now. I am cr@pping on everyone.

Laurie, you should have sat on this post another day -- turns out today is the Great American Grumpout. Which makes me a little stabby, in the way of all forced merriment, but that's my problem.

Maybe you should move to the Bay area and chill out some with us. I guess there are plenty of crazies round here but I haven't seen more than the usual whackos.
btw normal unleaded is $4.02 at the local Shell. That is a dollar up on when we moved to the US 10 months ago.

Hello dear Laurie,

This post of yours just made my day!

You may be batshit crazy, but you are also very, very funny and very, very clever.

So please share the cameltoe joke with us! I'm begging, okay?

Hello dear Laurie,

This post of yours just made my day!

You may be batshit crazy, but you are also very, very funny and very, very clever.

So please share the cameltoe joke with us! I'm begging, okay?

CAP, I laughed out loud, sitting at my desk, just reading the word "cameltoe." Bwaaaa haaaa haaaa!!!!!

Also, did anyone suggest light vanilla soy milk in place of that banana?

It's the same in England- Everyone seems to be in a bad mood. I think it's because up until two days ago we hadn't had any real sun since Summer 2006! I'm hoping the recent hot! hot! hot! weather will cheer everybody up.

Otherwise I might be forced to go with the rum-in-the-water thing... Or perhaps pot in all the food? ;)

People are definitely crazy. I think it is something in the air, because air is everywhere. I'm hoping things calm down soon, because spring is finally here.

Umm, cameltoe is one of the things my husband suggested I google. I only know what it is because of context.

Let's just put the coca back into cola. I hear the women of that day were quite happy. They had some great elixirs back then too....but wait....90% alcohol....oh, I get it. WINE!

Reference your comment about who has time to scold strangers. I have found in my own experience writing a blog, that if we have time to sit down and write meaningless BS on our blog, then others will find time to comment on what we write. It's the nature of the beast. Opinions are like @ssholes. Everybody has one and they all stink.

OMG!!!! I couldn't comment until I stopped laughing so hard that tears were forming.....I absolutely love the way you report your research! It significantly increased my endorphins and resulted in a 99.7% improvement in my mood.....No news on the gnomes, but will let you know if any turn into Fox.

thank you. you said that ever so much better than i could have. and so scientifically to boot. grumpiness seems to be in the air, and i myself am twitchy with cabin fever nerves. at least our snow finally melted last week, so hopefully i won't be contributing to the contrariness anymore. at least not in cabin fever-sized doses.

I think it's the weather. It's been extra-weird this spring, and seems like it's been cold forever. Plus I am studying for finals and also probably having PMS. Yesterday I was studying when someone kept coming into our outer office whistling. It's generally not super quiet out there, and I have a door I could close, so it's not like this was the annoyance that it might be in other circumstances... but still I was this close to threatening bodily injury to whoever it was if they didn't shut up.

I usually realize I have a major grump on when I am shopping and someone is in the same aisle but 20 feet away from me and I have the sudden urge to shout, "Get the hell out of my aisle!!!" Usually this requires PMS but it does seem like lately I've been feeling that way even without hormonal amplification.

Gotta be the weather.

I vote for rum in the water supply and chocolate memos.

I'm one of the (apparently) few people in the world who hates bananas. I can't stand even the slightest taste of them in anything. However, people always seem to argue the point with me, pointing out how good they are and saying things like -'How can you possibly hate bananas?'. Believe me, I've tried to like them. Tried a few times in my life. Still can't stand them.

Go with yogurt as a substitute. Works great, very smooth. No icky banana flavor.

The grumpies are alive in W. Palm Beach-adjacent as well. At my retail job, I greeted an older (ok, ancient) well-dressed customer with a cheery hello the other day, to be replied to with: "you're about the thousandth person who has said hello to me since I walked in!!" This was prefaced with a large sigh. I just said "we're a cheerful lot"..."let me know if you have any questions"...to myself, I added: like what a well-educated person like myself is doing waiting on the likes of you!!!...so, my anger is building as well!!

I find a nice glass of crisp white wine at the end of the day does wonders for my soul!!

Cheers!

I see toothless people in camo clothing. The more white trash they are the LOUDER and more confrontational they seem to be.

I guess it's all about "location" :)

Which is worse, outraged yuppies or outraged hillbilly's with shotguns?

Man , I miss California! I was at "peace" with my meth dealing neighbors out there.

Let me just say I love you. You make me laugh, and there's not really any funny these days.

It's all about the perspective.

Thanks Laurie.

Laurie, I have a suggestion to eliminate the Coffee Pot Bandit problem: a Keurig coffee system, which makes one cup of coffee at a time. No pot to clean or get broken, no filters, and everyone can choose his/her favorite type of coffee. We have one in our office and it's great. Just a thought.

While I'm procrasti-- I mean, being grumpy... how come so many workplaces provide free coffee, but they don't provide free Diet Coke? Come on, how about some love for us caffeine-needing coffee-haters?

Oh, and I don't like rum. I think chocolate in the water supply would do the job though.

Oh, this is so familiar, hang in there everybody :) I'm pretty darned sure that this is the first time in my years as a single mom/graduate student I felt ahead of the curve on anything at all financial. What would that be...? Laughing my way through catastrophe. It's the only way. Embrace the inner crazy person...the one who laughs inappropriately against all reason, not the one who starts eyeing the garden shears!

Noto bene: that pound of flesh...you just can't cook it and eat it ;)

This was just what I needed to read today. So I'm NOT IMAGINING anything! People really ARE jumping at everything these days! Thanks for the confirmation. I feel better already.

Okay, I haven't gotten all the way through, but I can't believe that so far no one has named the leading cause of bad behavior in the current world: Reality TV. When people get so much notoriety and money for behaving like total jerkwads, is it any wonder that others - especially young people - emulate them?

So that's it, all right; Reality TV.

And George Bush, of course. (BLEECHH!!)

You are so right! And it is the same over here in Germany. Nothing but grumpyness and complaints. I think part of the problem is that we were used to an steadily rising standard of living.Just compare what we "need" today to what we had 30 years ago! And now that other countries want to live better, too, we complain about our new "poverty".

Here at my place of employment where people ARE actually working on the cure for cancer, we are proposing Xanax mist through the air conditioner vents. (Xanax is an anti anxiety medication). It will have an all over sedating effect and will help the doctors, scientists, nurses and patients too. Just sayin.

My take, its the trickle down theory of hate. Our leaders in Washington take great pride in their ability to substian anger even when proven wrong, and after almost 8 years as an example, we are following our leader. Me, MAD AS HELL and want to kill Hummer and SUV driving, million-dollar making CEO's who continue to suck to best of America up for themselves, while the rest of us stew in our anger and blame each other.
I think we want to believe that things will get better, but we are having a hard time holding on to that belief in the face of evidence to the contrary.

Oh yes! Instead of confronting coffee bandits (don't drink the stuff myself) I am the ICE NAZI! Before we got the new refrigerator at work, we only had good old fashioned ice trays and people would actually remove 3 or 4 cubes from the tray and not empty it into the icebin or bother refilling it! Made me completely CRAZY!!! (You have coffee, I have diet Coke) I left a note indicating how to refill the ice trays on the freezer. Made me feel better. ;)

Hi Laurie . . . I've just been wondering if people had similar problems thousands of years ago when a very privileged tribe's favorite camping ground became a regular gathering place for many traveling tribes. Imagine the congestion, disorder, lack of the usual plentiful game and other amenities previously taken for granted. Multiply that until the camping ground became a village, then a town etcetera, etcetera, and so on. Mmm. I wonder how they all felt and how they dealt with the situation. I'm counting on humanity. Hey . . . I wonder if they had feline dictators?

how they dealt with the situation. I'm counting on humanity.

Watching a gnome turn into a male dance named Fox, all for me, would brighten my bulb.

I assume we are talking about Mulder? Or...did I just date myself? Eff it I don't care.

RE:crankiness I can attest to everyone in Seattle being quite cranky because the calendar says mid-May yet we are all still in grey weather freezing our As off.

And it's only 1:30 so I can't have wine yet to make it better (or warmer).

"I don't posit solutions I merely observe for science."

...and therein lies the problem. I'm sure that 99.98% of all people "stand by" and then gossip later about whatever sets them off. Simply put, most people like to complain. Here's a handy breakdown of the three kinds of people.

1) .004% - Tell others what to do

2) .025% - Try to get others in trouble for not doing what the No. 1s said to do.

3) 99.98% - Gossip and complain about everyone else telling them what to do or trying to cause grief for their group.

The other .001%, of which I belong, are fairly comatose. We roll out once in a while and say something so incredible that we're immediately carted off to a room that has an interior coating of gray...

Well, now that commenter Dave has just informed us all that *I* am in fact the whole problem, I do believe I will close the comments.