I have two very huge pet peeves, and this week in particular, they are really getting to me. The purpose of this blog is to give logical explanations as to how we can all work together to fix this, so I will be a happier Jordan.
Pet-Peeve Number One: Dishes in the Sink
I absolutely hate this. My roommates do this. My boyfriend does it. My boyfriends roommates do it. I get home from a long day at school and find the sink full. I do the dishes for whoever left them there. Then, to relax, I go to my boyfriend's house, only to find more dirty dishes. I feel like all day every day, all I do is wash other people's dirty dishes. I am supposed to be spending that time studying!!
I don't dare confront my roommates, because I'm scared (maybe they'll happen to read this blog), but I am not at all afraid to let my boyfriend and his roommates know that this is unacceptable. They tell me it takes too long to put the dishes in the dishwasher. Puh-leaze. It takes about a hundred times longer to sit there and argue about whose turn it is to "do" the dishes. And what do I mean by "do" the dishes? Transfer all the dishes from the sink into the dishwasher. Why can't you just put them in the dishwasher after you use them? And then start the dishwasher when it's full? And then put the dishes away after the dish-washing is complete? Then maybe you'll have a clean bowl for your cereal. It's not rocket science. Here, I'll even make a step-by step list that you can print out and tape to a cupboard so you won't be confused:
1) Eat your food.
2) Throw away the scraps
3) Rinse the plate
4) Place the plate in the dishwasher
5) When the dishwasher is full, add soap and turn it on
6) If the dishes in the dishwasher are clean, take 2 minutes to put the dishes away, then start at step 2.
Note: This procedure is applicable for all dishes, silverware, and utensils, not just plates.
Pet-Peeve Number Two: Texas Drivers
I feel like the traffic flows very nicely in Oregon, like water through a hose. In Texas, however, the hose is full of kinks. In particular, the merging onto the highways seems to be the major problem. Granted, TXDOT doesn't give you but 100 feet to merge. However, this does not have to cause major bottlenecks. The steps to a smooth transition are as follows:
1) If you are in the right-hand lane on the highway, and you see that someone up ahead is going to merge onto the highway, move to the left lane. DON'T SLOW DOWN. This really irritates the people behind you who have to slam on their brakes, as well as the person trying to merge who now doesn't know whether to speed up or slow down. Then you both end up playing chicken for the next 1000 feet, while he's driving in the emergency parking area.
2) If you are in the right lane, and there is someone in the left-lane, and you see someone wants to merge, still try everything you can to move to the left lane.
3) Truck drivers (and slow drivers), stay in the right lane at all times. In many states (including Oregon), it's a state law that all slow vehicles MUST stay in the right-hand lane. Now, don't get confused. If someone wants to merge onto the highway, and you're going 30 mph, get in the left-hand lane and allow them to merge, then immediately get back into the right lane.
4) Get TXDOT to go visit Oregon, see that the proper length of lane to merge onto a highway should be at least 1/4 mile, then re-do all the roads, but do them at night (like ODOT), so that nobody has to sit in traffic.
See, I really am an engineer. These are two huge problems, and I went ahead and found very effective solutions. I think I deserve some sort of scholarship for that.
