Annoyances: Public Check Writing
I write a check now and again... but never in public. For example, my local water district will not accept credit cards for payment and does not offer on-line bill pay. I also pay my housekeeping service by check on the day they perform the service (I think they prefer it that way in order to keep the books "clean" - no pun intended). But, those rare check writing requirements occur in the privacy of my home - where they cannot inconvenience anyone but myself. I must meticulously write out the numeric and alphabetized representation of the amount, the date, the recipient, and then stuff the little colored piece of paper in a stamped envelope and send it on its way. If the check clears several days or sometimes a week later, I presume it made it safely to the destination.

I would personally be embarrassed (no... mortified!) to write a check for goods and/or services while in the checkout line at a grocery store, fast food dive, hardware store, etc. It just screams:

"Yes, I'm too dumb/old/paranoid to carry around a modern debit card. Instead I rely on this book of paper. Don't ask for my e-mail address, as I cannot be bothered to learn the simple skills required to send e-mail messages; I prefer writing letters with pen and paper instead.

Today while at the hardware store, I got caught behind a check writer. Not only are check writers slow, but usually they are hard of hearing:

"How much was the total again?"

Typically when I'm ready to pay for my goods/services at a place of business that offers multiple checkout lines, I'll look up and down the lines quickly and do a "check writing profile" of the persons currently waiting in the lines. The profile is based on several criteria that I use to gauge a person's check writing proclivities. These include (but are not limited to): age, hair style, type of clothing, and size of handbag. Older folks, people with dated hair styles and clothing, people with large handbags - these are all probable public check writers. Avoid in singles if possible; shun if grouped together.

Only after I profile the customers waiting in the lines will I then take an inventory of the amount of stuff each person has. This is because a suspected check writer with just a few items is going to take longer than a debit carder with twice the items. In general, I can avoid the check writers using these steps, but sometimes the system fails me... or there is only one checkout line available. Then, I'm subject only to dumb luck.

I think my mother is still a public check writer; but I love my mother so I would stand in line with her... anytime.

(Yes, my Mom reads my blog.)

Annoyances: Drugstores
I went to three different drugstores (Bartell's, Walgreen's, and Rite-Aid) tonight trying to find a specific over-the-counter item. I guess I was under the mistaken impression that a drugstore would have a better selection of over-the-counter items than my local grocery store. But they don't... in fact, my local grocery store's over-the-counter selection puts the over-the-counter selection at each of those "drugstores" to shame. What a joke.

Annoyances: Commercial TV
Kristy and I rarely watch TV. We are just too busy. But lately we have been sitting down together as a family and watching some of the holiday classics like Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and others. Tonight after Rudolph, I noticed that The Wizard of Oz was on. So the kids and I tuned in and watched it (Kristy turned in early, she's feeling pretty sick). The kids very much enjoyed Wizard of Oz - at least, while it was actually on. The show was interrupted every 15 minutes for literally almost 10 minutes worth of commercials. Seriously, I timed it once.

The kids watch some TV... they aren't deprived. But when they are watching TV, it is usually something like Sesame Street, Caillou, or other PBS favorites. Of course, PBS channels have no in-program commercials (the end-of-show sponsors can be harmlessly ignored by the kids). It was interesting to note their reaction during what must have been some of their first experiences with commercial interruption - they were quite simply bewildered. "Is the movie over Daddy?", Berkeley wondered. Eliana turned the TV on and off repeatedly, seeing if she could "fix" the problem.

On about the third or fourth commercial interruption of Wizard of Oz, the kids were no longer confused... they were getting mad and frustrated ("What happened to the movie?", Berkeley demanded once). I tried to explain to them that the show would be "right back on". They seemed to get it, but they acted as if the show was over by scampering about looking for something new to occupy their attention. When the show did come back on, I'd then have to corral them up and bring their focus back to bear on the movie.

After just a few commercials, I was pretty much fed up... commercial TV is just too annoying to watch. It is probably time to build my own MythTV box. A couple of my friends have built their own with great success.

(Update Mon Dec 19 07:51:33 PST 2005 // fixed a grammatical error)
(Update Mon Dec 19 08:16:31 PST 2005 // fixed MythTV URL... oops)

Annoyances: Door to Door Magazine Solicitors
Today a nice young person knocked on our door selling magazine subscriptions for "points". I feel sorry for anyone that has to make a living door knocking... I did enough door knocking on my mission to know that it ain't a fun way to spend a day. But these constant pleas to "renew" my subscriptions or to "donate a subscription" to a local charity are just getting ridiculous. Not more than two months ago we were door knocked for magazines... now again today. Even the Mormon missionaries don't come around that often! ;)

(Update Mon Dec 19 22:34:18 PST 2005 // moved from daily journal to new category)