# Whew it's hot out here! Summer Mini-Rants **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239 "2010-06-23T14:33:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 46
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/901 "2010-08-20T16:21:31Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Yesterday I discovered I have poison oak on my left foot. Today it’s on the calf of that leg too. I **still** don’t know where I’m coming in contact with poison oak! Do you have a dog? Or a cat that goes outdoors? Because they can get the oils on their coats and not be affected, but as soon as you pet them or they rub against you…Bingo! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/902 "2010-08-20T16:35:17Z")
I have the hiccups. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/903 "2010-08-20T17:21:18Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > Sorry this is intentionally vague. > > So I mentioned the travails of our friends the foster parents just above in this thread. And my heart is truly breaking for them. My wife and I went over to their house, babysat for them just so they could have a rest, and brought them all kinds of goodies for the kids. Our friends were just so happy to have kids in the house, they had wanted them for years and hadn’t been able to have them. And now the kids are gone and the wife is in tears and we’re struggling to find the words for them. I can’t imagine what they’re going through. > > And then…my wife and I are going through something I can’t talk about right now. And it’s–it’s ruling our lives, running us up and down and around a rollercoaster of emotion. Not being able to talk about it (no, I am not going to talk about it here, I am not comfortable because I am not anonymous enough here to do so and I’ve seen other people here get ripped apart over it) is getting me down. I’m trying to talk about it on another board with another name but the damn place is so riven with politics and holier-than-thou attitudes that nobody’s responding to me anymore because, I guess, the tribe has spoken or something. I talk about things and seek out advice when I’m in pain, that’s what I do, it’s how I get better. Not being able to do that is making me completely restless and unable to function properly. > > But at the same time…our friends lost their kids. Yes, they knew it was a possibility all along but it was literally a case of one day they had the foster kids and they were part of their lives and home and family and the next day, boom, they’re gone. It tore a hole in their lives. And, dammit, here I am almost unable to move over things that seem so trivial in comparison. > > Why can’t I handle things better? Gah. My attempts at compartmentalizing my life are an abject failure. I know what you mean; there are times I’d like to post for some advice here, but don’t because of the nature of the boards. Don’t give yourself too hard a time because you’re problems don’t seem as important as your friends’ problems; everybody’s situation is different. You could say that no one in North America should ever feel like they have a problem, because we aren’t living in poorest Africa, but that would just be ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/904 "2010-08-20T17:36:51Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I know what you mean; there are times I’d like to post for some advice here, but don’t because of the nature of the boards. Don’t give yourself too hard a time because you’re problems don’t seem as important as your friends’ problems; everybody’s situation is different. You could say that no one in North America should ever feel like they have a problem, because we aren’t living in poorest Africa, but that would just be ridiculous. Look, _foreigner_, we live in one of the richest, most educated hemispheres in the world and there is enough correct grammar and spelling to go around. It’s not “you’re problems don’t seem as important,” it’s “your problems.” You would think you’d have gotten that right considering you used the word again two words later. Besides, there are children in Africa going to bed every night without correct grammar and spelling. You should be ashamed. If you’d swallowed your pride and asked for _my_ advice about this I could of\* corrected you. - 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/905 "2010-08-20T19:18:12Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > > [@elfkin477](#): > > > > Yesterday I discovered I have poison oak on my left foot. Today it’s on the calf of that leg too. I **still** don’t know where I’m coming in contact with poison oak! > > Do you have a dog? Or a cat that goes outdoors? Because they can get the oils on their coats and not be affected, but as soon as you pet them or they rub against you…Bingo! Two cats, but unless it’s in the screenhouse, the cats couldn’t come in contact with it because that’s the only place they’re allowed to go outside. I think I would have noticed plants growing in there, though, since they’re always accompanied by a human. It has to be in the yard somewhere and I’m just not noticing it as I walk by. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/906 "2010-08-20T22:36:25Z")
I need a new hairstylist, heard of what I was told was a place, and made an appointment for a consultation. Those usually take 10, maybe 15 minutes tops. When I got there, I was told that she was wrapping up and would be with me in a minute. About 5 minutes later, she finished. And then she and her previous client stood around gossiping for at least 15 minutes. I know she probably gets tipped more if she has a good rapport. But she was now over 20 minutes late for a 10 minute appointment. And she’d still need to finish cleaning the station and wrap up her conversation about who was doing what to whom. When I did go to the receptionist and said I needed to reschedule, she _grunted_ at me. The least she could have done was acknowledge the issue. It was just so very, very rude. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/907 "2010-08-21T00:14:13Z")
Time to find another hair stylist, and to be sure to tell this place why. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/908 "2010-08-21T01:40:12Z")
> [@descamisado](#): > > > [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > > > I know what you mean; there are times I’d like to post for some advice here, but don’t because of the nature of the boards. Don’t give yourself too hard a time because you’re problems don’t seem as important as your friends’ problems; everybody’s situation is different. You could say that no one in North America should ever feel like they have a problem, because we aren’t living in poorest Africa, but that would just be ridiculous. > > Look, _foreigner_, we live in one of the richest, most educated hemispheres in the world and there is enough correct grammar and spelling to go around. It’s not “you’re problems don’t seem as important,” it’s “your problems.” You would think you’d have gotten that right considering you used the word again two words later. Besides, there are children in Africa going to bed every night without correct grammar and spelling. > > You should be ashamed. If you’d swallowed your pride and asked for _my_ advice about this I could of\* corrected you. > > - 😃 Dammit! Or should that be, damnit?! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/909 "2010-08-21T02:56:23Z")
Danmit? ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2010, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/910 "2010-08-21T05:58:03Z")
Bloody hell. Came home after voting and put my lunch in the microwave to heat it up (leftovers). Suddenly, this awful smell started drifting through the house. I got my lunch out and opened it and almost vomited. I had put the container with the cats kangaroo mince in and nuked it instead. The smell of cooked kangaroo guts was something to behold. Flies were leaving fresh dog shit to get inside. ---
**Author:** ![Tortuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@Tortuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tortuga)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/911 "2010-08-22T08:07:43Z")
> [@otternell](#): > > > [@Tortuga](#): > > > > Ugh, why do people even care what gender their baby will be? What the hell difference (besides a washcloth tossed over the potential squirt during diaper changes) does it make? > > And it’s NEVER EVER the gender of the baby they actually end up having. > > I’m glad they do it - so I can intentionally buy the “wrong” color and go “oops”. And then hopefully word will spread and I will never again be invited to the hell that is a baby shower. I don’t mind the people who find out the gender from the ultrasound, I mind the people who when talking about their pregnancy say they really want a boy (or less often, a girl). Ugh. I don’t see what difference it should make. If you wanted a son to play ball with and go hunting, well, last I looked, none of those activities actually required a penis so there’s no reason you can’t teach your little girl those skills just like a boy. And as none of these people I’ve met who’ve “wished for/really wanted” a certain gender actually ended up having that, then what? Are we supposed to act disappointed with them? “Sorry, better luck next time?” Double ugh. They talk about trying again later and some of them end up with something like five girls and stop when they finally get that son. How crappy is that for the girls in that family? To know you only exist/have siblings because they wanted a baby with a penis? As to baby showers, I’ve only been to one for a childhood friend’s second child. I hadn’t seen her in years and just happened to be in town. I appreciated the invite but yeah, it was kind of awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/912 "2010-08-22T18:40:22Z")
This is truly mini - it irritates me just a little every time I go to a website that requires some typing from me, and the cursor doesn’t automatically jump to the field I have to fill in. I have to waste the next TWO SECONDS of MY LIFE mousing over to that field! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/913 "2010-08-22T19:30:31Z")
Queue mental imagery of one of my customers screaming in my ear demanding COMPENSATION!!! for the time it takes to click on a field. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/914 "2010-08-22T22:35:24Z")
In 2010 so far, our family has already had an aunt get diagnosed/treated for breast cancer as well as the death of my father-in-law (with attendant family drama). That’s a lot for one year already, but now our 22 year old nephew was in a major car accident yesterday morning. He’s already had one surgery to put a rod in his spine; he’s probably going to have to have more surgery though. We won’t know for weeks (maybe months) if he’s going to be able to walk. Dear universe: Our family has had ENOUGH for this year. Please find someone else (preferably someone I don’t know) to bother for a while. Thank you. I appreciate the consideration. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/915 "2010-08-23T00:33:03Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Queue mental imagery of one of my customers screaming in my ear demanding COMPENSATION!!! for the time it takes to click on a field. That’s basically what I was going for. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/916 "2010-08-23T02:18:12Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Queue mental imagery of one of my customers screaming in my ear demanding COMPENSATION!!! for the time it takes to click on a field. You know what chaps my hide? People who don’t know the difference between “cue” and “queue”! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/917 "2010-08-23T03:28:47Z")
Ok, now I’m both worried AND pissed. Turns out my nephew did every bad driving thing you can think of before his accident: he was on his way home from a party where he’d been drinking (although apparently he “rested” first), he was speeding on wet, curvy roads, and he wasn’t wearing his seatbelt (although this might have saved him by ejecting him from the car before it rolled). Kid is damned lucky he’s not dead, and that he didn’t kill anyone else. I do hope he’s going to be ok, but man he was stupid. Worried & pissed sucks even more than just worried. _sigh_ ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/918 "2010-08-23T04:09:37Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > > [@Chimera](#): > > > > Queue mental imagery of one of my customers screaming in my ear demanding COMPENSATION!!! for the time it takes to click on a field. > > You know what chaps my hide? People who don’t know the difference between “cue” and “queue”! > > 😉 No, see, it’s an entire fucking line of people who say this shit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/919 "2010-08-23T15:21:37Z")
Dang. So much for Ambien, I fear. In April I couldn’t get to sleep, so doc prescribes Ambien. I take it twice and it works just fine. It’s weird how it turns you off like a light and then turns you back on eight hours later, but whatever. Now I’m in this cycle where I’m taking longer to fall asleep (but not like before where I was wide-frickin-awake at midnight) and waking up several times during the night. Have taken Ambien twice, and no go. Sure, I get switched off all the sudden, but I’m still waking up at three am and not really getting back to sleep and then the whole rest of the day I’m fighting grogginess. Rats! Rats!! Rats!! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2010, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239/920 "2010-08-23T17:25:02Z")
Oh oh - seeing rats is definitely not an improvement in your condition. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239.md?page=45) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whew-its-hot-out-here-summer-mini-rants/544239.md?page=47)