Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Monday, May 7, 2012

I Don't Do That


I have a list of things I don't do that some people find odd. Don't worry. I am not going to hold forth on deep philosophical or moral issues like cheating on one's spouse or bad mouthing one's country. That's another blog. (But not mine.) Sometimes, for the sake of someone I love or to employ good manners I have to break one of these rules. But. given the choice, I do not:

  • Eat from a buffet. It's nasty. 
  • Pump gas. I've earned it. I cook dinner. 
  • Listen to recorded phone calls. Even from my dentist's office. I love my dentist and everyone in his office, but I hang up on my recorded appointment reminders for two reasons. 1. I am an adult with a calendar. I write down my appointments and I don't need reminding. 2. If they feel compelled to remind me of my appointment, they need to send in a real person. Which they do. Because I don't do whatever is required at the end of the message to let them know I got it. I don't even know what it is. I've never gotten that far.
  • Go in a hot tub. I can think of no reason to boil myself in someone elses people juice.
  • Go to get my hair done without washing it first. Probably stupid but I wouldn't go to the doctor without bathing or the dentist without brushing my teeth. I can't think Billy wants to put his hands in my dirty hair.
  • Wear the same pajamas two nights in a row. Yes, I know it's crazy. Yes, I know it creates laundry. But I am the one doing the laundry, so it's not bothering anybody but me. The exception to this is when I am on a long trip. It's hard on me. 
  • Go barefoot, even in the house, even in the middle of the night. I have white terrycloth slippers that are easy to slip on and easy to see in the dark, so my feet never have to touch the floor.

What are things you refuse to do? 

18 comments:

  1. I refuse to answer "unknown caller" or "private caller." if you want to talk to me, don't hide who you are. It really irritates me.

    I also refuse to go barefoot in the house. And I don't like buffets unless it's at the "Court of Two Sisters." That's one buffet I love.

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    1. I can stand to walk around bare-footed either, Cheryl. :(

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    2. Uh oh! That should read, "I can't.." LOL!

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    3. Cheryl, I shouldn't answer those calls, but there is something about a ringing phone.

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  2. 1. I do eat from buffets, because studies have shown that the more germs you're exposed to, the more robust your immune system stays. I guess it's kind of like soldiers in constant training being better than those who haven't kept up their training.

    2. I do pump gas. I travel alone a lot, so I have to. But if the hubby is with me, he handles the gas issue.

    3. I don't listen to recorded message either, except I finally waited long enough with the one about "stop paying credit interest now!" (I really wanted to blast them because I don't pay credit interest anyway) and I wanted to punch a button that brought a real human on the line. Instead, I got something better: an opt-out-of-future-calls prompt. And the calls stopped.

    4. I try really hard not to touch public door handles, especially in the winter. I'll pull my sleeve down over my hand, use my elbow, or -- if I must touch it -- grab the very top or the very bottom, where I figure only people like me have touched the handle. Or I'll use a hand towel from the dispenser. This doesn't exactly jibe with my reasoning for eating at buffets, but, good Lord, snotty kids wipe their noses with their hands then touch those handles. I have my limits, and my limit is snot.

    5. I refuse to deal with people who try to spin me. When I say No, I mean No. Don't try to talk me into something. And when I ask a question, I expect a clear, concise answer, not a restatement of position or argument. If you're spinning me, you're lying to me, and I'm through. I'll add that this is mostly political give-me-money calls, which I do occasionally answer for entertainment value.

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    Replies
    1. Maven Linda, I'm filling in for Jean until she can respond today.

      I agree with everything you say here. Building immunities is the biggest gift you can give your body but there is a limit to how much you want to be exposed to. ;)

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    2. Linda, Ironically, I wrote this blog last week and Saturday morning, at the hotel before the Readers' Luncheon, I found myself eating breakfast, along with my words, at a buffet. I am comforted by your words about the germs.

      I am with you on the door handles. I love the sleeve trick. If it's a swinging door, I back out using my shoulder.

      Those spin people. I love it with they keep saying, "You don't understand." Yes. I do understand. I just don't agree. That's allowed.

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  3. I don't eat at buffets because I'm paying for way more food than I can possibly consume. And at some places they definitely confuse quantity with quality.

    I have to pump gas. There's only me.

    When there WAS somebody else, I still pumped my own gas. I didn't mow the grass though. I raised the kids, kept the inside clean and I cooked and did laundry. I thought that was more than a fair trade.

    I don't deal with snakes. At all. Period. Fortunately, I haven't had to for a long time -- since we moved from the house with the woods behind us. Oh, yeah, I'm sure the pastures around us have snakes but I haven't seen one yet. Just mice. ~sigh~

    I only have one doctor who does recorded calls. And because he's the best in town in his field, I put up with the call. It's short. But I too keep a calendar and know when my appointments are.

    Marilyn

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    Replies
    1. Many businesses, like my beauty parlor, are opting for the automated confirmation phone call. I'm not sure what I think about that yet.

      Snakes? Ack! I'm afraid of them, Marilyn! And I've got woods behind my house. When we first moved in with 4 kids under 12, we had to kill a few copperheads in our yard. Double ack!

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    2. Snakes. Oh, year. Precious Angel's mother once killed a rattle snake with a shovel after ordering PA and his middle school pans to "Get in that house." I shuddered and said, "How did you manage that?" She said, "I didn't have time to go upstairs and get the shotgun."

      Then she went to the Junior League meeting.

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  4. Well, y'all know I don't handle snakes (YiKeS!), yards (except for beautification which comes before snakes come out), or tools (which come after snakes come out). Although, it would seem Cheryl is determined to get me to fix that wiring issue which would require tools....and a bomb squad. :O

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    1. It might be best if you hire someone to take care of that issue for you, Lesia. We don't want to lose you!

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    2. Come on Leisa, live a little...

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    3. And here I thought you were a snake handler and a strychnine drinker. Do you know what I'm talking about? If not, see me after class. You should know.

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  5. I don't cover myself up with hotel bedding if there is any way around it. Yes, I take my own blanket. But you know this already!

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    1. I am working on getting you a suit from the CDC. That will take care of all you problems.

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  6. Apologies for getting back to all of you today and many thanks to Kathy for pitch hitting for me. I spent a few days in a cabin on the river with some other writers plotting. We were very, very productive, but internet access was sketchy. We did not turn on the TV. We did not go anywhere. We just talked about our books. It was great. I got back last night and collapsed!

    I'll tell you all about it next week--the plotting session, not the collapsing.

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