Saturday 1 August 2009

Peeves Please

 

in the pink Princess Bagaya & Ptolemy

 

Pet Peeves are those little things in life that really irritate or frustrate you. They can be things that aren't designed or made correctly, or things people do that just frustrate the heck out of you.

So what drives you crazy?

My particular peeve is that exceptionally annoying person who sidles up to you when you’ve finally found time to curl up in your favourite chair with a book, a glass of wine and a little plate of nibbles just for you. Often they’ll stand and stare at you for a few moments – you see them in the periphery of your vision which in itself is annoying - and then say really loudly as though you are stone deaf, “Wotcha doing?”

This completely inane question is made a hundred times worse because it’s invariably asked in a kind of high pitched sing-song voice.

“What do you THINK I’m doing, you mouldy old woolsack?” You hiss vehemently “Go. Away.”

“What are you getting so huffy about,” he/she/it replies in severely wounded tones. “I was only asking….”

Phfft.

So go on, do tell us what gets on your goat. Share your own particular peeve with us here and you could win this signed, limited edition giclée of Princess Bagaya chillin’ out with her pet parrot Ptolemy. The value of the print will be donated to Dr. Maithri’s Swaziland Project in the winner’s name.

I’ve asked the Chief Perpetrator of my pet peeve to be the judge in this little contest! You ready, Miss Bean?

44 comments:

Lori ann said...

hahaha! that is wonderful Tessa, even your pet peeves are colorfully and beautifully depicted!

mine would have to be very similar, when i am comfortably settled in for the evening, cars all put away, glass of wine and comfy couch or bath ready and my phone rings...my youngest calling "mama...can you come pick me up?? pretty please??"
grumble grumble, it's happened a million times...!

gorgeous painting vibrating with color and feeling, sometimes just how i am refered to when i do this very same thing!

But please take my name out of the contest Tessa, i love it so much but i am already the proud owner of 2 of your original works of art and i don't want to be greedy!!

Irene said...

My pet peeve is, when a "friend" calls me again, for the umpteenth time and says in an accusing voice, "So, it has been a long time since we last talked," even though it was only last week and I have nothing new to report since then, and never do, and our conversations are always about absolutely nothing, but saying to each other, "Do you have any news? No? Well, neither do I." She thinks I ought to call her once a week, just like she calls me once a week and we have absolutely nothing in common. That's my pet peeve, having useless conversations over the telephone.

The princess is absolutely lovely and will grace my walls very well and I very greedily do want to win her, because that's how much I like your art. I won't beat around the bush about it.

Gail said...

Your art is amazing. I found your site through Irene's.

My pet peeve is someone calling my name out loudly instead of coming to my location and asking me a question. I am not required to jump and run when my name is shouted so I just act as if I have heard nothing, then they seek me out.

Gail said...

I read comments about an art contest. If possible, I would like to have my name placed in the hat, your art is so impressive.

Karin Bartimole said...

omg Tessa, I am laughing so hard!! That is a very good pet peeve - I can definitely relate to that kind of nudgey annoyance. hmmm, my own pet peeves...
I think the biggest lie primarily to the east of me - in the neighborly form :) Inevitably the gas powered leaf blower comes out, just as we settle onto the patio to peacefully enjoy a quiet afternoon with the birds and chipmunks, or for our dinner and a glass of wine - and roar - the motor begins, with nary a leaf in sight! The man is obsessed. He will blow the street, his roof, any flat surface available! grrrr!!

Jinksy said...

Pet peeve? People who say (or write) 'could OF' instead of 'could HAVE' or 'could've', in the abreviated version.

Madame DeFarge said...

Th husband who thinks that I can hear him through two closed doors, over the television ans washing machine. Practically a case for divorce.

kendalee said...

As always, gorgeous painting and completely understandable and justified peeve Tessa!

One of mine is queue jumpers. Who likes standing in a queue? Specially a long and slow-moving one? I wager not many people. But there is something so fair about queuing, and I appreciate the necessary cooperation that makes it work. Generally I quite admire people who opt out of toeing an arbitrary social line (apologies for the pun) but not in this case. Who are these people who feel it's okay to behave so selfishly and bypass the queue? It seems such a mean thing to do. I'm happy to step back in a queue if someone asks or has an obvious need to hurry through but if they just march or - even worse - sidle up to the front, pretending they haven't seen the rest of us, who are waiting patiently or at least tolerantly in line, they just bring out the "Grrrrr!" in me.

Elizabeth Musgrave said...

I love quiet so mine would be all about noise. Pet peeve of the moment is teenage girls shouting "OH MY GOD!!" at each other across the road and shrieking and running about. If you have something to say, say it. If not, don't shriek and bounce and attention seek. I would like to gather them up and put them in a soundproof box where I could see them jumping about but could hear nothing.

Alexandra MacVean said...

Love the colorful painting in your post! I have a few pet peeves, but the one at the top of my list is when people leave a wet dishrag in the sink to get all yucky and stinky! Ugh!!

:)

Holly said...

Passive aggressive behavior sends me over the moon! People who smile at you while they say something snarky and then when you call them on it they say, "Oh, you took it wrong, I didn't mean it that way." Well once could be a mistake, but if it's done repeatedly? Passive Aggressive.

Really, I'd respect you more if you just pull a gun on me...at least we're both being honest then.

My, that sounded volatile, huh? Maybe that's more than a peeve, and certainly not a pet...unless its a dragon!

Rosaria Williams said...

My biggest pet peeve is having adult children who expect Mother/that's me/ to prepare all meals, acting like guests everytime they visit.

Natalie said...

Any act of selfishness really. Queue jumpers, people who are pushy on the road, loud parties every weekend waking my babies etc. Just people who have no care for others....ARGH!

Maithri said...

I love this painting dear friend,

There seems to be no end to your wonderful talent or the generosity of your spirit.

As for pet peeves... mine has always been arrogance... in all its forms...

I'm trying my best to get over it ;) ;) lol

Lots of love,

M

The Bug said...

I'm generally a pretty peevish person - I'm always running to talk to my friends in the office next door: you wouldn't BELIEVE...!

I thought of two to mention here. One is when people write "then" when they mean "than." As in "the shoes cost more then the dress." It's become an epidemic!

The other is when my beloved is sitting in his chair when I get home from work & has all these stories to tell me - & I am trying to change out of work clothes & go to the bathroom. I wouldn't mind him following me around, but, no, I'm held hostage by his chair...

Leola - Southshoreartist said...

This isn't an official entry because I was the lucky winner of another contest of yours, but I just couldn't resist joining in :)

My pet peeve.......Any piece of hair left on a bar of soap! Call me picky but I'd rather pull all my hair out and run screaming out of the bathroom before I'd touch it. :) There I feel so much better getting that off my chest.

Elizabeth Bradley said...

I had no idea when I dropped in that there was a contest.

What a lovely work of art! Lovely in every way.

I would have to say, my pet peeve is about newscasters reporting about a story that they claim is not trustworthy of being reported about. What? They ARE reporting on the story when they mention it. Sheesh.

sallymandy said...

What a fantastic thing to ask readers. Who can resist?

Your post was so funny, and your painting, as always, is lovely.

I have a pet peeve about putting things on the dinner table in their original containers--like the mayonnaise jar. The way I grew up, stuff like that was put in little dishes. Not everyone in my house agrees with me. It's a peeve because I KNOW it's kind of stupid...but there it is.

Holly's peeve about passive aggressive behavior is also on my list.

sallymandy said...

I can't resist one more! How about when people under the age of 25 write this word: "definately."

Eeeek!!

soulbrush said...

wow, i would adore to won one of your originals.
my pet peeve is:
dog owners who don't clean up their doggy messes on london streets. naughty naughty!

soulbrush said...

can think of several more.in general i hate falseness in people;
e.g. 'we must do lunch sometime' and then they never contact you because neither of you ever intended to 'do lunch' in the first place.agh!

Renee said...

Now picture me sitting across from you on the couch, and then you come over to mine or I come over to your couch and we decide to sit beside each other face to face.

I tell you one of my pet peeves:

I fucking hate when I am standing anywhere and someone stands directly behind me. They are strangers and I always know they are there. I put my hands on my hips and turn around quickly and always hit them with my elbows because they are in my space.

People back the fuck up.

Love you and what a great idea for Maithri and his group.

Love Renee xoxoxo

Harnett-Hargrove said...

A list of the seven deadly sins! -Jayne

BALLET NEWS said...

beautifully worded ! thank you

Silke Powers said...

Tessa, your art is so incredibly amazing - I LOVE the colors you use and the subject matter! And I'd be honored if I won this...

My pet peeve is with myself, I am afraid. I find it incredibly annoying when I waste free time I have, which unfortunately I do quite frequently. I know it, too, while it's happening, which annoys me even more... Oh, well...

Your pet peeve made me laugh! Thanks for your very substantial comment on my blog - it was wonderful to hear from you!! And, yes, Winslow and Ramses are the best of friends...

Hugs, Silke

steven said...

hi tessa, wow! i'll post two responses. the first to your blog as a whole piece and then i'll see if have a half-decent pet peeve!!
first the blog. stunning! truly! amazing writing, beautiful photographs. what a home! what a gorgeous home you lucky people, but the idea of a small home and something that allows you to take off in any direction your heart desires is painful and wise. beautiful artwork. the piece on zanzibar and especially that gorgeous images of the spices - wow! i'm looking forward to returning here!! see you. steven

steven said...

o.k. tessa and now for a pet peeve. i bet that many of the responses here are the tip of the iceberg. you know there are lists behind those sometimes hilarious, sometimes painful admissions of my fellow bloggers.
i've not been conscious of going 'round with a huge list but then when i got to thinking about it, man oh man there's lots of little stuff that sort of bugs me but which i've learned to let be because it's easier to sort it out myself than to have a hairy meltdown on the poor soul whose nasty little habit or foible has crossed into my sphere of influence.

so i'd have to say that my biggest pet peeve would be with me - for being such a wimpy accomodating pleaser type of person when i should really let 'er rip and light into the offender. sure i'd have no friends, my family would disown me, my students and colleagues would avoid me as rotten to the core, but i'd be free of the little cinder of resentment that is almost certainly growing even as i write, tucked away somewhere deep dark and inaccessible to even the best paid therapist!!!
have a peaceful day. i'm trying to have one over here!! steven

JennyMac said...

LOL..this is great. I have a few for sure. Long talkers with NO point who drag out my work related meetings twice the length they should have been. I know I should be pleased since most lawyers bill by the hour but NOT.

And passive-aggressiveness. BOO.

kj said...

tessa, i cannot stand hypocritical people who provoke and play with people's emotions and then blame everyone but themselves when the temperature rises, feelings are hurt, and loyalties betrayed.

and i cannot stand bitterness.

and on a lesser note, please don't ask me the same question more than twice.

xo

Silke Powers said...

Hi again, Tessa,

Come on over to my blog if you have a minute -- I have an award waiting for you!!

:) Silke

Debra Keirce said...

:) All three of my kids are annoying that way. I'll miss them when they aren't around to annoy me anymore though!

Little Ms J said...

My pet peeve is people who don't know when they've come to a punch line, if they had one at all. You know the girl that drones on and on and she even realizes she doesn't know the point of her story so she keeps rattling on trying to find it in the bottom of her martini glass?

I typically excuse myself to the Ladies to text my BFF, "Is she done yet?"

Amy said...

I wouldn't dare throw my name in the hat again, so I'll just tell you one of my number one pet peeves. (I'm one of those horrible people who has far too many of them.)

When I go to a store and I'm checking out at the register and the cashier hands me the reciept and says, "Have a good one!" I always want to ask, "Have a good wha?! Day? Evening? Life?! Then say it!"

I know, I know. Very silly.

Webster said...

Tessa, I love your art and your home, though I understand why you need to sell it.

My pet peeve:
I use a wheelchair some of the time, and I hate it when a sales clerk or a wait person talks to the person with me instead of talking to me. Hello? Here I am. Ask ME!

pink dogwood said...

I should be like Lori and not be too greedy since you have been so generous with me lately, but I want more, more, more :)

English is not my first language, and even after living in an English speaking (supposedly :)) country for the past 25 years, I am always conscious of my use of the language. My pet peeve is when people who have English as their first language abuse the language. For example,

1) when some at work writes an email with "your welcome" to my 'thank you' - my what???

2) when someone says "I should have tooken that" - I am not kidding, grown ups say that around here sometimes :)

3) all the abbreviations in texting - like 'ur' instead of 'your' and 'dat' instead of 'that' - I guess I will eventually get used to it :)

Reya Mellicker said...

This week I'm peeved with the eclipses. Ready for them to be over and done with.

I love the painting. It looks like she's holding the sun or the moon between the fingers of her left hand.

I'll never ask what you're doing, Tessa! I want to stay on your good side.

Renee said...

Tessa did you hear Maithri's song.

Amazing.

xooxo

L'Adelaide said...

I KNOW what mine is because HE just did it again this morning! Well actually there are two so maybe I have twice the chance as this print was on my list to buy!!:)

"What do you want to have for dinner tonight?"

...in the AM, while I am still in bed, barely moving and just enjoying that fluffy warmth of my cozy bed and the warm liquid joy I am sipping ever so languidly...."What do you want....? Shall I go into town and get some fish?" OK~~the BP has gone up past the point of politeness [if it was ever there in the first place]!

"PLEASE!!!!!! I have been planning dinner-S for OVER 34!!!!! years, expletive expletive, and I am certainly OVER it!!! Cheerios, a cheese sandwich, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN! I don't want to even THINK about dinner anymore, don't you get that????"

Now, I ask you, is this any way to wake up in the morning? I am OLD, I have aches and pains first thing in the morning, I am an OLD housewife, chief cook and bottle washer,mom and grandma, "PLEASE DON'T ASK ME THIS QUESTION AGAIN>>>EVER!" [I have said this countless times!] ...sigh... is the full extant of my frustration clear in this little comment?

I have stirred myself up to the point where I actually forgot the other one that drives me insane but if the thought [well, if it happens, which it most assuredly will] I will be back to give you the low-down on it...

kisses
X

L'Adelaide said...

crap, I forgot to tell you how I absolutely adore this painting....she looks like I would "like" to look on a good day, relaxing, just BEING who she is....this one is one of your best, in my not-so-humble opinion!! :)

XO

Caroline said...

Beautiful painting Tessa and funny post! Loved reading all the comments here too.
Where to start with my pet peeves??
Well, in no particular order
No 1 Patiently queuing for my cappuccino in Starbucks, noting the one table left free, only to have it nabbed by the partner of the person standing behind me in the queue before they have even been served.
No. 2. People (always on their own), who bring their laptops or lecture notes to Starbucks and spread themselves out over an entire foursome of comfy armchairs,lounging for an hour with one cup of coffee. I thought it amusing this weekend in a cafe in Singapore, where on the tables they'd replaced the little NO SMOKING cards with NO STUDYING!!

No 3. The apostrophe. It is never in the right place any more e.g. Green grocers apparently sell something belonging to their fruit and veg - carrot's, apple's and bean's. I wonder what it is?
Oh, and whilst I'm ranting - here's another. Why, when asked 'Would you like another one?' Youngsters will often reply 'No, you're alright'? Aargh! I know I'm alright! A perfectly simple 'No, thankyou' would suffice?

Something to do with being a grumpy old woman, I guess!!

Caroline said...

Another continent but your lovley painting reminds of Swallows and Amazons!!
I couldn't agree more about the overload of toys some youngsters have these days.
Yes, I remember secret dens in the woods too - building pretend campfires and mixing mudpies! And when not outside exploring, picking wildflowers(not allowed these days!) or collecting treasures for the nature table, I happily spent hours with crayons and paper, drawing ponies or dresses for my dolls. My mother was a great dressmaker and there were always heaps of scraps to cut up and sew into my creations!
I had to laugh at the water story! A few years ago, in UK, we were told that our water (we had a well in the field opposite) was being filtered through a dead mouse - oh, and the nitrates in the water turned my girls' blonde hair green, but that's another story!

Tessa said...

WONDERFUL! You rock, big time...all of you. Thank you for your responses - some hilarious, some serious and all very valid peeves. The Chief Perpetrator of my Pet Peeve is donning on her wig and gown...and with gavel at the ready, she will choose a peeve which, in her judgement, has resonance. She'll bash the gavel down with gusto and post her winner here in a little while.

xxoo

Unknown said...

As Chief Perpetrator of my mother's 'Whotcha Doin?' peeve, I'm gonna have to go with 'The Bug' being held hostage by her husband's chair - I almost fell off my chair in stomach crunching, eye watering giggles.

Plus, I can relate ... My Italian housemate, whom I love to bits, has no concept of personal space and often holds me hostage in the kitchen, pressed to the fringe as she gesticulates wildly in animated conversation. More often than not, I'm hungry....and desperate to pee!

Congrats

Catherine said...

My Pet Peeve - Bad grammar and punctuation! I have even blogged on it on two occasions, (http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2009/03/spell-check-and-grammar-night-classes.html) and (http://deise-dispatches.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-crimes-on-grammar-and-lismore.html) these give an idea where I am coming from! I always got irked by the so-called Greengrocer's Apostrophe (apple's for sale!) and then it extended to mis-spellings and misplaced words (your right, there wrong!)and similar. Lynn Truss with Eats, Shoots and Leaves summed it up succintly and I was at one with her, though she is way more cranky than me. (I too am not a grumpy person!) (That sentence should be excoriated as it looks so wrong!)So that is my main grumble and it is probably extremely petty. So many colloquialisms incorporate bad grammar; in Ireland lots of Hiberno-English being directly translated from the Gaelic is acceptable e.g. "I'm after going to the shops for the messages" or "Are you after tidying your room?" would be looked on askance by a non-Irish person, but not cause a murmur here.(There are dictionaries of Hiberno-English which attest to the uniqueness of it all.)
So that's my peeve and while I don't expect to win the painting (much as I'd like to!) I thought I'd share it with you!
Catherine.