What Irked You Today?

[Ace-Garageguy]

14 hours ago, Danno said:

...I've become increasingly agitated by the snot-nosed self-aggrandizing entitled little twerps that over-populate the fast-food industry...

Not to sound like the past-it geezer who constantly harps on how much better things used to be...which I unashamedly am...but when you have a generation whose mommas didn't bother to teach them how to cross a street, do laundry, make a sandwich or change from a dollar, or tell time on a non-digital clock, it's really no surprise that "common courtesy" is in as short supply as common sense and what used to be known as "common knowledge", you know, like where Europe is on a map.  

Edited July 5, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[Mark]

If I get poor service somewhere, it's usually the last time I go there, at least to that location.  No point telling them off...next time you're there, you might get some "extra protein" in your value meal.  Just sayin'...

[peteski]

On 7/5/2024 at 3:57 PM, Mark said:

If I get poor service somewhere, it's usually the last time I go there, at least to that location.  No point telling them off...next time you're there, you might get some "extra protein" in your value meal.  Just sayin'...

Unfortunately that is a real possibility.  Spitefulness seems to be norm nowadays, since there seems not to be any repercussions or punishment for bad deeds.

[mrm]

On 7/5/2024 at 1:35 PM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Not to sound like the past-it geezer who constantly harps on how much better things used to be...which I unashamedly am...but when you have a generation whose mommas didn't bother to teach them how to cross a street, do laundry, make a sandwich or change from a dollar, or tell time on a non-digital clock, it's really no surprise that "common courtesy" is in as short supply as common sense and what used to be known as "common knowledge", you know, like where Europe is on a map.  

I hear you and share your pain. But let's take a step back and ask ourselves the question: "Who raised that generation to be this way?" Because "their momma" are our wives or daughters. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

25 minutes ago, mrm said:

I hear you and share your pain. But let's take a step back and ask ourselves the question: "Who raised that generation to be this way?" Because "their momma" are our wives or daughters. 

No disagreement there. My "boomer" generation bears a lot of the responsibility for the dogawful mess the world is in today.

I can't really elaborate for possibly running afoul of the board restrictions on "political" speech, but in general, we had it pretty easy compared to previous generations, and a lot of us failed to learn much of what we should have learned and passed on to our offspring...and likewise their offspring learned even less about reality, values, responsibility, and behaving like adults.

Edited July 9, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
TYPO

[mrm]

And speaking about being irked and the new generation...

My kid wanted a car for his 17th birthday last year and he announced it the minute he got his license at 16. So me, fully realizing that we are the ones creating the ways the new generation aggravates us with, decided to teach him a lesson. I told him that for his birthday (in May) I will match whatever money he manages to save towards a car purchase. The reason being his complete inability to have any money without finding the silliest of ways to spend it. So, May 2023 He came to me with $2500 asking me to look for a $5000 first car. He end up with a rather nice ex Nashville Metro Police 2014 Chevy Impala, with most of its markings still on it. Plastic "arrest-me-seat" in the back, rubber floors and nice push bars on the front bumper. After spending June, July and half of August in Europe with his mom and brother, he decides to take it to school with exactly three hours experience behind its wheel. Yes, you guessed it, I received a phonecall very shortly after he left, telling me "OMG, dad, I'm sorry, I don't know what to do, I messed up." Bankrolled by the mercy of his mother, I went with him to the junk yard and we returned home with the much needed new front hood, right fender and front passenger door. I even managed to get him a much nicer leather steering wheel with the radio controls on it - a stark contrast from the police issue rubber plain doughnut with airbag originally in his car. I told him I will help him put it all together, but that I will not just do it for him or take the initiative. I guess it took more than a month for him to finally get motivated to ask me to do it together, while not having a car. His mom even bought him brand new headlights. While we were removing the thorn panels, I noticed that the front bushings on the lower control arms were in pretty bad shape. 

     Fast forward to this summer and the proud moment when he got accepted in all the colleges he applied for and got to chose. That was a lot of serious talks and quite few lectures about money managing, planning etc.. And then his car got brought up, with the old panels that I asked him to get rid of still sitting in my garage and his front end now clunking over any dips to bumps in the road. I told him he's 18 and he's on his own when it comes to his personal stuff, like his car. Still helped him and showed him how to go and price shop the parts he needs and how to navigate the stealerships service departments. It was determined that it would be better to change both control arms, shocks, sway bar links and tie rod ends. Dealership, where one of his buddies dad works quoted him at $900 labor plus parts, plus alignment. And that was the employee price that his friend's dad was giving us. Like the sighs, the rolling eyes and the overall crappy attitude of an 18year old know-it-all, while you are trying to actually do something for them is not testing enough, now I had to witness a dealership trying to rape his wallet. So I made another deal with him that I knew I was going to regret. We'll find the parts, he'll pay for them and I'll help him change the whole front end on our driveway. 

    We got lucky and due to the staggering ineptitude of a female teenage autoparts store manager got a price quote on the parts that was just stupid low. $500 after tax for everything needed and we were home. Three weeks go by with my kiddo unable to find one Saturday or Sunday free in his priceless time to dedicate to fixing his front end. Yet another lecture and resisting multiple urges to kick his teeth in and this past Friday, he announces: "We are going to do my car all day tomorrow, right?" Thanks for the heads up buddy and for your concern if the rest of your fam planned anything for the 4th of July weekend.... Here is the place to express endless gratitude to my wife for saving me yet again from going to prison for murdering my own offspring. LOL

   So I spent this last Saturday on my driveway replacing my kid's front end, which by itself was not fun, to say the least. Having him "helping me" took that to a whole new level and the 100 degree weather did not help. To top it all off, for the last two days he's been bragging about "the sense of accomplishment repairing his own car" this past weekend gave him "even tho he was loosing his mind over figuring it out". So I have a question. Am I really a bad dad for feeling like I can't wait for him to move out in August and face the real world and kind of anticipating the moment he gets his teeth kicked in? 

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, mrm said:

And speaking about being irked and the new generation...Am I really a bad dad for feeling like I can't wait for him to move out in August and face the real world and kind of anticipating the moment he gets his teeth kicked in? 

You sound like a pretty good dad to me, trying to teach the kid about saving money for stuff he wants, and taking personal responsibility for fixing stuff he buggers, and generously helping him to achieve his goals.

But a few good teeth-kickings from the real world teach a human which side the bread is buttered on and who his friends really are and what matters and what's just shiny useless fluff...maybe...eventually.

Sadly, I know people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s who are every bit as clueless, as well as being physically and fiscally helpless, and gullible...easy prey for any smooth talker who comes a-knockin' on the door or calls 'em on the phone or puts up "health" content on YT just to hawk do-nothing supplements and snake oil.

How some of these folks survived to adulthood, much less "senior" status is quite beyond my comprehension. 

Oh wait...it's just because there aren't any predatory beasts these days to eat the terminally stupid and willfully ignorant, and more's the pity.

Edited July 9, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[A modeler named mike]

44 minutes ago, mrm said:

So I have a question. Am I really a bad dad for feeling like I can't wait for him to move out in August and face the real world and kind of anticipating the moment he gets his teeth kicked in? 

You are absolutely not a bad Dad for having these feelings. Be glad you have a son and not a daughter. Also know this.. they can come back at anytime in the future. Never shut and lock that door! If we had we wouldn't have a daughter and 4 wonderful (to me) grandkids today. Just my 2 cents for what's worth. 

[espo]

Sounds like he may be a slow learner about what it costs to maintain an older car. Hopefully he will someday wakeup to how dear old Dad was trying to teach him. Maybe even before he's in the same position with his own son.   

[mrm]

2 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

You sound like a pretty good dad to me, trying to teach the kid about saving money for stuff he wants, and taking personal responsibility for fixing stuff he buggers, and generously helping him to achieve his goals.

But a few good teeth-kickings from the real world teach a human which side the bread is buttered on and who his friends really are and what matters and what's just shiny useless fluff...maybe...eventually.

Sadly, I know people in their 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s who are every bit as clueless, as well as being physically and fiscally helpless, and gullible...easy prey for any smooth talker who comes a-knockin' on the door or calls 'em on the phone or puts up "health" content on YT just to hawk do-nothing supplements and snake oil.

How some of these folks survived to adulthood, much less "senior" status is quite beyond my comprehension. 

Oh wait...it's just because there aren't any predatory beasts these days to eat the terminally stupid and willfully ignorant, and more's the pity.

Thanks.

 I hear you on that too. I wonder how some people made it to adulthood just watching them drive on my way to work. The feeling intensifies on any roundabout. 

2 hours ago, A modeler named mike said:

You are absolutely not a bad Dad for having these feelings. Be glad you have a son and not a daughter. Also know this.. they can come back at anytime in the future. Never shut and lock that door! If we had we wouldn't have a daughter and 4 wonderful (to me) grandkids today. Just my 2 cents for what's worth. 

OMG. I wanted a daughter so bad. My wife would still trade a kidney for one. But I ended up with two boys. Now that they are teenagers, one is an adult, I am actually rethinking my wants. LOL. 

I think that if I had a daughter I would probably either in prison or a mental institution by now. LOL. I have a buddy that has three daughters. I don't understand how he does it. 

1 hour ago, espo said:

Sounds like he may be a slow learner about what it costs to maintain an older car. Hopefully he will someday wakeup to how dear old Dad was trying to teach him. Maybe even before he's in the same position with his own son.   

My dad still lives in Europe, but we keep in touch. It melts his heart every time I tell him my kids make me mad or mess up. He calls them "the Avengers". He laughs at me at tells me: "Good! It's payback time! Now everything you've done to me is coming to you, so you know how it feels." 

Speaking of which, that's another thing that irks me. LOL. Not because he says it, but because the darn old man is right. 

Edited July 9, 2024 by mrm

[Brutalform]

People who text and drive suck! 

[Tim W. SoCal]

6 hours ago, mrm said:

I have a buddy that has three daughters. I don't understand how he does it. 

My best friend has 3 daughters and when they all reached puberty, they and their Mom were all on the same menstrual cycle and all had PMS. He used to have to come and hide out at my house some evenings "that time of the month" so they didn't kill him...

[stavanzer]

I have two daughters and one son.

All are Adults now, and are married. The daughters have given me 4 grandchildren. I love them all, but the teenage years with the girls were very rough.

Mike, be of Good Cheer. It really does get better, although I would not have believed that 20 years ago. It may take a long time for the Boy to "Straighten Up & Fly Right" as my Father was always telling me. But He should get there.

You can PM me if you want to to vent. I've been on all sides of this issue now. I was your son for a while 40 years ago. I then went through what you are living right now. Finally, I have survived that, and now I have 12 souls over for the Holidays. (Myself and the Wife, 3 Kids, 3 Spouses, 4 Grand-Squirrels)

[espo]

23 hours ago, mrm said:

Thanks.

 I hear you on that too. I wonder how some people made it to adulthood just watching them drive on my way to work. The feeling intensifies on any roundabout. 

OMG. I wanted a daughter so bad. My wife would still trade a kidney for one. But I ended up with two boys. Now that they are teenagers, one is an adult, I am actually rethinking my wants. LOL. 

I think that if I had a daughter I would probably either in prison or a mental institution by now. LOL. I have a buddy that has three daughters. I don't understand how he does it. 

My dad still lives in Europe, but we keep in touch. It melts his heart every time I tell him my kids make me mad or mess up. He calls them "the Avengers". He laughs at me at tells me: "Good! It's payback time! Now everything you've done to me is coming to you, so you know how it feels." 

Speaking of which, that's another thing that irks me. LOL. Not because he says it, but because the darn old man is right. 

My father had a saying, "To soon old too late smart". I have found the older I have gotten the more I realize just how smart he was. 

[stavanzer]

2 hours ago, espo said:

My father had a saying, "To soon old too late smart". I have found the older I have gotten the more I realize just how smart he was. 

Your Father was correct.

I find myself repeating that phrase about once a day, anymore.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Today's irk, a regularly recurring one...people who continually whine that they "can't" do whatever moderately challenging task is asked of them instead of just shutting TFU and getting on with it...the same people whose refrain is "it's just too much wah wah wah boo hoo hoo".

Whatever happened to strong, self-sufficient, resilient adults that could tough something out without crying about it constantly?

I personally know a few, a VERY FEW. The rest are...

Edited July 11, 2024 by Ace-Garageguy

[Tim W. SoCal]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Whatever happened to strong, self-sufficient, resilient adults that could tough something out without crying about it constantly?

I personally know a few, a VERY FEW. The rest are...

I'm afraid that if we (us Americans) had to fight WWII today, we'd all be speaking Japanese and would be forced to pledge to the Rising Sun flag...

[A modeler named mike]

Homeowners insurance and taxes! Both went up this year as they usually do but the increases this year is astronomical. Currently I have our home and also acquired my Dad's house and property through rights of ownership when dad passed away.  We just paid the two tax bills totaling $7,869.00 plus one of the homeowners policies $1,058.00 that's up $283.00 due to inflation. I can't wait to see the other homeowners policy when it arrives. ? Come on November!

Edited July 11, 2024 by A modeler named mike

[mrm]

I was just at Walmart, checking out if they had any cool new Hotwheels from their premium series. As an avid collector of 1/18 scale diecast models, the HW help me scratch my itch in between 1/18 purchases I really anticipate. So I get to the toys section and I see this woman in the unmistakable Walmart blue vest. At first I thought she was arranging the isle. Then I thought she was actually looking for something. A couple minutes on I could clearly tell she was just trying to look busy and was actually aimlessly touching stuff with no purpose. Then a really nice old lady approached her and asked a question I didn't hear. I didn't hear the answer either as I was minding my own business. Except for the word "spanish". I did however not only hear the older lady's reaction, but also saw the expression on her face. "What do you mean Spanish, don't you speak english?" - Noooo, me no english... The lady looked at me bewildered, as if asking for help or perhaps approval and asked again "You mean to tell me that you work here, but you don't speak english?" Looking at me again with a gaping mouth and this look in her eyes, which I am not sure if it was anger or confusion. "You got hired here and you can't even speak english..." repeated the old lady while waiving her hand in a "forget it, it's pointless" manner. 

No, the old lady was not what irked me!

Edited July 11, 2024 by mrm

[A modeler named mike]

This week I've been house, dog and cat sitting for my aunt and uncle while they're on vacation. All has gone well until today. I went to grab a water jug out of the large plastic bin that's kept on the porch and ? I felt something hit my upper lip.. next thing I know I have a fat lip with a stinging sensation. A fricken yellow jacket got me. I didn't stick around to see if it was a lone wolf or part of a bigger problem. I did pop a Benadryl to help combat an allergic reaction. 

[NYLIBUD]

Having to wait to get into the stupid Apple store.I had an appointment,yet I still had to wait for more than an hour.Whats so special about Apple?You have to make an appointment,or your put on a list and you stand there..I only had to take the trip because my father’s phone,which he just bought,decided to lock him out.So it’s a soft ware problem,i’m told.The line was out the door.Hey here’s an idea,hire some m?re employees.?‍♂️??

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, A modeler named mike said:

This week I've been house, dog and cat sitting for my aunt and uncle while they're on vacation. All has gone well until today. I went to grab a water jug out of the large plastic bin that's kept on the porch and ? I felt something hit my upper lip.. next thing I know I have a fat lip with a stinging sensation. A fricken yellow jacket got me. I didn't stick around to see if it was a lone wolf or part of a bigger problem. I did pop a Benadryl to help combat an allergic reaction. 

You need a flamethrower.  Guaranteed effective against most flying insects.  

[A modeler named mike]

3 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

You need a flamethrower.  Guaranteed effective against most flying insects.  

Great idea but i'm not so sure they'd have a house to come home to.. ?

[Ace-Garageguy]

1 hour ago, A modeler named mike said:

...A fricken yellow jacket got me. I didn't stick around to see if it was a lone wolf or part of a bigger problem...

Just found this...a flamethrower drone. Now THAT'S cool.   

[stinkybritches]

29 minutes ago, NYLIBUD said:

Having to wait to get into the stupid Apple store.I had an appointment,yet I still had to wait for more than an hour.Whats so special about Apple?You have to make an appointment,or your put on a list and you stand there..I only had to take the trip because my father’s phone,which he just bought,decided to lock him out.So it’s a soft ware problem,i’m told.The line was out the door.Hey here’s an idea,hire some m?re employees.?‍♂️??

This is one of the reasons that I will never own an iPhone. They will shut the phone down if you haven't updated the OS in the time frame that they want you to. This happened to my wife. She has medical issues and I was trying to call her one day to check on her. I called her about a dozen times over an hour and a half time period. It went straight to voice mail every time. I got worried and left work to check on her. It turns out that Apple had locked the phone because she had not installed the latest OS update. I got her a TracFone shortly after that so that she would have something to use when Apple inevitably decides to lock her phone again. Your father's phone may not have been up to date when he bought it and Apple shut it down. 

I know this could have been avoided if she had updated the phone, but what gives a company the right to lock out someone's bought and paid for phone just because they haven't updated it yet?