Random annoyances

Things have been slow here this summer, and I haven’t felt very inspired. But I do feel an obligation to “feed the monster” as we used to say in my TV news days.

There has been good news and bad news sitting in front of me at work these past two days. The good news is that my laptop computer has finally reached its well-deserved retirement age and has been replaced by a younger model. The bad news is that the new laptop came with Windows 7 and Office 2010.

New and better? Perhaps.

Different from what I have been using for years? Definitely.

I have spent some frustrating times searching for a missing button “…that used to be right HERE!”

It will smooth out, but in the meanwhile I’m getting a headache.

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What is it with people who need to talk all the time?

We have several friends who have this compulsion, so I have seen (heard?) a lot of it. A couple of weeks ago we visited some family and ran into a serious contender for the world championship.

After a child-relative’s birthday party, many of us retired to our niece’s house. We had a small group of extended family sitting around the table on the patio, exchanging news and catching up. However, the flow of conversation was almost entirely one-sided. The girlfriend of one of the family members grabbed the imaginary microphone and just would not let go. She was energetic; she was opinionated; and she was argumentative. That’s not always a problem, but  this woman wouldn’t let anyone else get a word in edgewise.

I enjoy a good discussion, even a debate. I think of a non-personal argument as a good sport. But I hate to try to out-shout someone just to participate. At one point, she was ranting about some political issue and asking questions like, “Why does this make sense?”

I tried to inject myself several times, but I don’t even think she could hear me over the sound of her own voice. Finally, I raised my voice (for which I am still ashamed) and said, “Hey! You are asking some questions. I’d be happy to provide some answers if you would stop talking along enough to listen.”

She looked at me like I had just landed in a space ship and was speaking Martian.

It was just a short while later she went looking for her boyfriend and announced it was time for them to go home.

Oh well. It was nice to hear what some of the other guests had to say.