But I don’t have anything to rant about today.

(Yet.)

So, is there anything you want to get off your chest? Anything driving you up a tree? Pet peeves? Annoying people?

Come on! Let us commiserate with you!

It drives me insane…yes, pretty much bat-shit insane…when people do an e.e. cummings and don’t capitalize properly. Especially–and most particularly–the proper I.

My sister is such a culprit–I think she’s been doing that since high school–and now Scott, another of my friends, is sending me emails without the I capitalized.

Can you hear me screaming all the way from Michigan?

Why? Is it pure laziness? You can’t push the frigging SHIFT key? How hard is it?

Someone please explain it to me, ’cause I don’t get it. Not that it will make me feel any better. Because it’s just plain wrong.

(Come to think of it, I think my sister even handwrites in all lower case, so WTF?)

Ahem. Thank you very much for listening to my rant.
(And it isn’t even Tuesday.)

And I mean, “duh!” not “doh!” (There is a difference. Savvy?)

So, yeah. *rolling eyes* As if we had to be alerted to the fact that texting could be hazardous to your health.

In my book, it’s sort of common sense that when you’re walking, you pay attention to where you’re going. Same with driving. Which follows that, if you’re texting while you’re walking, you really have to pay attention. Or….duh! you could walk into someone or fall off a curb and twist your ankle.

Not exactly a newsflash.

And in other duh-related news…yesterday someone actually forwarded to me the old (old, old, old, old) scam about forwarding emails around so that Microsoft will pay you $250 for everyone you forward to. Riiiiight.

(If you don’t know what I’m talking about, or if you just want a good laugh at the reminder of how gullible some people are…go here.)

So, it’s not Tuesday, but there’s my rant!

Literally.

About five years ago–maybe more–I bought several pairs of cotton bikini panties from Victoria's Secret. Love'em. Nice and well-made, cute designs (not that anyone but Music Man cares), etc. Good solid elastic waistbands, etc. Still wearing them often (and they're in such great condition, I wouldn't care if I were in an accident when wearing them.)

They've lasted me forever. I've bought a few off-brands in the meantime (Hanes, or Fruit of the Loom), all of which were made with less quality material. Thinner waistbands. Etc.

So, I made a point to go to Victoria's Secret (side note: wayyyy back when I first sold the Gardella books, and we were trying to figure out a title for The Rest Falls Away, my Music Man suggested Victoria's Secret. Loved it, but of course we couldn't use it.)…

Anyway, I made a point of going to Victoria's Secret to stock up on undies again (no thongs, but I still have some from my previous shopping experience at VS). Bought a few pairs last fall, maybe. Maybe even in January. It wasn't that long ago.

And they're falling apart! Already!

Grrrr. I noticed when I bought them that they didn't have the really good ones anymore, or, at least, that the material felt lighter and the waistband was narrower. I thought maybe it was just a new type of material and expected–for what I paid for them–that they'd last.

Nuh-uh. So I'm quite annoyed.

Any suggestions from the peanut gallery? 

A few weeks ago, I went to pick up my daughter from a friend's house. When I got there, another vehicle was in the driveway, running.

There was no one in the car.

When I went inside, I saw that another mother was there to pick up her daughter, and I said, "Is that your car in the drive?"

She nodded and said yes.

I said, "Running?"

She said, "Yes, I like to keep it warm."

I replied, "Did you know that's really bad for the environment? An idling car?"

(I wanted to say, "No one's in it! Why are you keeping it warm?" But I didn't.) (And yes, it's Michigan, but it wasn't that cold…and if it had warmed up on the way to this house, it wasn't going to get that cold in five minutes. Good grief.)

So I went on to explain, calmly, that an idling car is worse for the environment (because of higher gas mileage/emissions and wear and tear on the engine) than one that is actually being driven.

Not to mention it was a complete waste of gas.

Oh, and I might mention that 1) it was some big-ass SUV-type vehicle, and 2) it wasn't a situation where she'd left the car running just to run up to the door to get her daughter. She'd gone in, and had been chatting with the other mother in the kitchen–and then proceeded to stand there for at least another five minutes while I was there.

I couldn't believe it.

And then on Sunday, I went to pick up a friend of my son's, and when I pulled up I saw a car (another huge SUV) in the garage with its lights on, running. Expecting that car to be backing up at any moment, I parked off to the side and walked up to the car to say hi. No one was in it.

I knocked on the door from the garage to the house, figuring someone was just getting their jacket or purse or something. No answer after three loud knocks.

Went around to the front of the house and rang the bell. A minute later, the mother answered the door with her hair in curlers. Her hair in curlers. Ie, she wasn't nearly ready to leave to wherever she was going.

How long had that vehicle been idling? By the time I left, a total of at least five minutes later, there was still no one in the vehicle ready to leave.

It drives me crazy.

Please. Please. Please. Don't idle your car!

If it's going to be sitting there for more than 10 seconds, according to the experts, turn it off. Watch your lines in drive-thrus, too (try not to get in a long line, or if you do, turn off the car)…also when you pick up kids from school, run errands, etc.

And please…take a look at the links I posted. Especially this one. Help to make the world a greener place. 

And can you make a commitment to turn off the car and eliminate at least five minutes of potential idling this week….? And next?