Five Things That Make Me Happy, and One Thing That’s Pissing Me Off

by Katy on February 17, 2012 · 28 comments

Five things that make me happy:
  1. Watching my 14 and 16-year-old sons speak Japanese. It’s at once both unexpected and wonderful. Hooray for a fantastic public school program that taught my blond sons such a very foreign language.
  2. Having a bunch of stuff to look forward to. Next week I’m going to hear Deanna Duke read at Powell’s and also explore at the Portland Home and Garden show with my friend Chelsea. (Plus, we get to go to a Meet and Greet with John and Sherry from Young House Love.) And thanks to my Groupon credit, it’s all free, which adds an extra fun-factor for lil’ ole me. 
  3. The TV show Homeland. I called up the cable company last month to negotiate my bill. Although they only brought it down $10 a month, they did throw in Showtime for free. I just started watching this show a few nights ago, (can’t watch it with the kids around) and was hooked after a single episode. So good, so very good! (Read HERE about why the Non-Consumer Advocate has cable-TV in her home.)
  4. I’ve unsuccessfully been keeping an eye out for a fireplace screen that doesn’t jut out for awhile. However, I just realized that my tri-fold screen can be pushing into the fireplace, which makes the front panel flush to the bricks. This adds a few extra square feet to the room, and simply looks less fussy. (Am I explaining this well?) I love figuring out solutions that require nothing more than a new way of seeing what’s right in front of me!
  5. The knowledge that I can have as much fun with an empty pocket as when it’s full. I can go for walks with friends, attend free book readings, watch library DVD’s, concoct rather lovely meals from weird leftovers and rearrange my home instead of buying new decor items. And even when I do spend for entertainment, it’s rarely more than a couple bucks for second-run movies or drip coffee with a friend.

One thing that’s pissing me off:

  1. Signature gatherers. This may sound trivial, (and frankly privileged on my part) but the main street near my house is overrun by signature gatherers at all times. Medical marajuana, ACLU, Oxfam, and many, many other liberal organizations target my neighborhood for donations and signatures. (Okay, they pretty much only want money.) And when I have to pass them four or five times a day, (as well as have them knock on the door at all hours) it starts to wear on me. Their hard sell puts me in a situation where the only way to decline their solicitations is to be rude. Which I resent.
Now you. What’s making you happy and pissing you off these days? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Katy Wolk-Stanley

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”

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{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }

Jennifer G. February 17, 2012 at 11:20 am

I am sooooo jealous that you get to meet John and Sherry! They are coming to Atlanta on my birthday, but I will be on family vacation.

Not that I don’t love a little vacay, but talk about timing!

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Katy February 17, 2012 at 11:23 am

Don’t you mean they’re so excited to meet me? 😉

Katy

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Jennifer G. February 17, 2012 at 11:50 am

Yeah…it’s pretty much like a get-together of blogging superheroes!

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Elspeth @ paper armour February 17, 2012 at 11:24 am

The street-level entrance to the train station I go to and from for work is on a very popular block of a very popular street in the Chicago shopping district. Not only does it mean I pass by windows of beautiful clothing twice daily (drool), but it also means it’s prime real estate for Greenpeace, Environment Illinois, Red Cross, Planned Parenthood, Save the Children, the HRC, and so on.

I was overjoyed to discover an underground pedway system that cuts the outdoor portion of my commute in half and ALSO reroutes me away from the people who A) won’t take no for an answer and B) won’t take “CAN’T YOU SEE I’M ON MY PHONE!?” for an answer either.

(I realize that they have crappy jobs, and I’m not mean to them)

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Sherry February 17, 2012 at 12:32 pm

I don’t know what you can do when you are walking down the street, unless you just pretend you are deaf, or don’t speak the language, or something. However, at home you can hang an *Absolutely No Soliciting* sign on your door. And perhaps for added emphasis a *Beware of Dog* sign in the yard…even if you don’t own a dog.

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Laura's Last Ditch--Adventures in Thrift Land February 17, 2012 at 12:42 pm

1. We just won tickets to Craig’s Cruisers (a Go-Kart arcade place with a buffet) in a President’s Day contest ($40 ‘value’).

2. We likely will win tickets to the boat show, which my son would enjoy.

3. I’ll be in the Wall Street Journal next week, and possibly some of my photos, too.

4. My autistic son has been behaving like a dream lately, and I’ve been able to start teaching him how to make pizza.

5. I’ve found I really enjoy writing, and the process itself helps me remember small details about my life that I would never have thought about again otherwise.

The thing that bugs me:

My online shop has been pathetically slow the past few days, and that’s always discouraging.

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Barb February 17, 2012 at 1:20 pm

You will so love Homeland-without giving anything away, can I just say………..believe nothing…………..

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Lauren February 17, 2012 at 1:29 pm

I have many blessings in my life today, but the one thing that’s pissing me off is similar to the one thing that’s pissing you off, so I had to share:
My pet peeve today is people who call on the phone for charitable solicitations. One of the reasons my family tries to be frugal is so we can give more to charity, and we give a good amount. Then some of the charities we support make more money by selling our name and phone number to other charities who call us up asking for money. They do their best to make me feel like a stingy grinch for saying “no”. Now I’ve started asking them to remove us from their call list, which makes it a little better. I’d never give money to anyone over the phone in any case.

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Katy February 17, 2012 at 1:39 pm

I get infuriated when I give $25 or so to a charity, and they then spend $50 to try and get more from me.

OPB and Sunshine Division are the worst about this.

Katy

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Another Portland Katy February 17, 2012 at 4:18 pm

Surprisingly, Mercy Corps is also bad in this regard!

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Bauunny February 17, 2012 at 4:28 pm

I totally agree. It feels like they use my money “against me” and not for the good purpose it was intended for. Grrrrrrrrr

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Indigo February 17, 2012 at 2:09 pm

1. I have a three day weekend in front of me with my house mate off on a getaway to help restore my energy reserves.

2. I got a bunch of seeds for free and will start them off this weekend in the greenhouse.

3. I’ve saved up for a wonderful bike so soon I’ll be rolling along the country roads and off to the library and farmer’s market.

4. While I have had minor behavior problems with my students overall the dynamic of the classes flow well.

5. The huge painting my level two students completed was incredibly well received.

The one thing that has been really bugging me lately is when people try to take advantage of someone with a good or giving nature. This kind of related to over push charity drives to friends who assume you will drop everything and put your life on hold not to just help but to fix their problems for them, to even watching student try to guilt a giving person into giving them their valentine’s candy.

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BrokeElizabeth February 17, 2012 at 3:59 pm

Oh, I absolutely despise signature gatherers! There are three very popular stretches in my city where they all seem to congregate… I try to make eye contact (but not from too far away), smile, and say ‘not now, thanks’. Seems to do the trick.

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mairsydoats February 17, 2012 at 4:16 pm

My last job was right next to one of those sites where there’s ALWAYS someone looking for money. I finally had to conclude that I just couldn’t engage with the folk doing the good work for whoever… I always wondered about the diminishing returns of approaching the same people every single day. Surely the whole enterprise doesn’t exist simply to drive me mad, right?

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Katie February 17, 2012 at 4:25 pm

Isnt it fun to take a minute to appreciate stuff? This was exactly what I needed to do this afternoon: http://keikionboard.blogspot.com/2012/02/5-things-that-make-me-happy.html

I laughed when I read you are meeting with the people from Young House Love – I have more than one friend who is absolutely OBSESSED with their blog (I don’t think I’ll tell them – they might fall over from jealousy)

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Chelsea Gale February 17, 2012 at 4:34 pm

I got really excited to read that Deanna Duke was coming Portland, but when I went to the Powells website for more info, they have a note that the event has been cancelled. Here’s the link: http://www.powells.com/biblio/9780865716926:signed. Have you heard otherwise?

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Katy February 17, 2012 at 5:27 pm

Hmm . . . I’ll have to e-mail her, because yes, the reading does appear to be cancelled.

Katy

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Lacy Cooper February 17, 2012 at 7:16 pm

Honestly I too get annoyed by the signature gatherers…I just say “I don’t give money unless I research it first” I then ask them for any literature or card to look over later, which I sometimes do and sometimes I don’t. I then thank them and walk away. It is unreasonable that they ask for money from people so I don’t feel guilty.

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Practical Parsimony February 17, 2012 at 7:34 pm

Keep a handful of expired coupons or Monopoly money in your pocket or easily accessible in your purse. Smile and place it in their hand where they cannot see that you are not giving them cash. They will remember you and not bother you again.

If you give them money, you encourage them. If you give them nothing, they hold out hope. If you give them a coupon or Monopoly money, they will remember not to bother you again. It might take a few times to train them, but you will be memorable and ignored.

Put the largest chain you can find next to a monster water or dog food bowl. They will fear the size of the dog if you add the sign–Vicious dog.

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anexactinglife February 18, 2012 at 4:15 am

Re: signature gatherers: The groups who are always campaigning in my area are the ones I already support with annual donations (Amnesty Intl, MSF, etc). I tell them I am a supporter and sometimes chat about their latest issues. They are delighted. Sometimes I stop and tell the campaigner that I support 3 charities on a regular basis with larger donations. They respect that and wave me on my way. My pet peeve is kids who ring the door bell at 9 am on Saturdays, collecting refundables to raise money for hockey tournaments!

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Susan C February 18, 2012 at 10:21 am

1. Happy that I get to experience a new culture with my hubby and youngest child.
2. Happy that I get to spend more time with my youngest child since I didn’t get to with the others.
3. Happy that I am learning a new language.
4. Happy that I worked out the last 2 days.
5. Most of all I am happy that my family is healthy.

I am pissed that I live in a different country far away from most of my children so I can’t see them when I want too and that even though I am learning a new language and culture it is very hard at times.

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Christine February 18, 2012 at 10:22 am

I tell signature gatherers I’m Canadian.

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Rachel in Portland February 20, 2012 at 11:46 pm

I do that too.

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Alice February 18, 2012 at 4:07 pm

1. Your post reminded me that I’m deeply happy with our ‘no soliciting’ sign that I printed and put in the window a few years back. Zealots, salespeople and other annoyances, begone!

2. Helpful salespeople rock! I had 1 guy help me figure out why a cable was broken, so I didn’t have to come back *again* to replace things, and the woman at Comcast was quick and helpful when I returned our modem.

3. I’m almost healed from an injury, so can start exercising again (though I’m rather shocked that this brings happiness, it does, so on the list it goes).

4. It may be somewhat trite, but our cats are adorable.

5. I’ve got a plan for clearing out my ‘projects’ pile of clothing by the end of March – if it’s not something I’ll gladly wear, it’s getting donated, and no ‘maybes’ are allowed – looking forward to reclaiming that mental space!

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Kim February 18, 2012 at 8:41 pm

What is making me happy right now?
– Still can not believe that my sis and I went to see THE Glen Campbell
at a small venue last night. He is on his farwell tour before retiring.
(Bucket list)
– A boy who normally shuns my sons’ company spent some time playing video games with him today.
– Made a great batch of chicken wings from scratch for the first time
for dinner tonight.

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cathy February 19, 2012 at 11:51 pm

What makes me happy –

1. Wonderful friends to share good times and tough times with.
2. A few days of sun here and there in the winter months.
3. Hugs and kisses from my grandkids.
4. A good book, “Kisses from Katie”.
5. New TV show, “Touch”….it’s off to a good start, hope it stays that way.

Totally understand the p##### off at signature gatherers, but….I’m also glad there are people who care enough to actually be out in the world trying to make a difference. They are going through the legal steps to try to bring about legislation; and I may/may not agree with it, but I’m glad to see there are people who care and not everyone has gone totally apathetic, or decided to try to bring about change by “camping” in public places not suited to camping.

Regarding fundraising…so much easier for all to just be direct and ask for a donation vs trying to sell a product most don’t need/want. If the kids come by and I think it’s a worthy cause, then I just give a monetary contribution and skip the product.

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Katy February 20, 2012 at 10:48 am

Cathy,

I with you about charities, but it’s hard when the people are pushy and it’s every day that I choose to walk in my neighborhood to run errands.

Katy

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cathy February 20, 2012 at 10:55 am

Katy – I agree, it can be hard in those circumstances, and as much as I’d like to help lots of good causes, I have to limit myself. Lots of times, the best I can do is smile and say I’m not able to help.

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