Things that annoy me at pool
Long time no update... sometimes life needs a bit more privacy, or there is less to elaborate. Nothing major's been happening, and I still can't do elaborate descriptions about feelings.
Weather will hit 100 F mark in the next few days. That will be time spent at pool, and with some good reads.
I got some new toys recently: an ice cream maker (I got the green one as they didn't have the yellow ones in store), some new ikea shelves and gadgets, a few books... on the list of next ikea purchases will be this table set (the first table or dining set that I actually like enough to buy. And I'm not big on 60s or 70s styles) and one of these bookshelves (in white, like the billys and lacks that are already in use for books etc here).
Anyway. What prompted for a proper update was the increasing need to rant.
Not about too personal stuff (at least for now), but rather of the annoyances of the external kind. While I try to keep in shape by swimming enough daily, the pool is an excellent place for observing these annoyances.
What really annoys me at swimming pools would include e.g.
- People bringing their children and NOT supervising them. C'mon, it's a residential pool. If you bring your kids, they are your resposibility. It's very clearly in the pool rules. No one should do your parenting for you
- Screaming people. This usually includes the rather younger kind, but is not limited to them. I can't stand people of any age screaming or making loud noise. Most loud 'things' at pool seem to be under 5, but teenagers occasionally annoy for the same reason. For them I just don't buy the excuse of hormonal peaks causing the loudness and stupidity - I've never particularly been in good relationships with even the hormones my body produces, and I never had the screaming age at my teens. Just keep... and keep them quiet, thanks
- People talking on phones... and having a "private" discussion. Hey, I want to either swim or read at the pool. The last thing I'm interested in (ok, after listening to anyone's offspring's doing a concert with their vocal chords) is listening to anyone's hours long "private" phone discussion. Switch the damn thing off! Or go inside or somewhere else to finish it off
- Smoking. Wtf? Why does anyone have to smoke at pool? When the temperatures in the sun hit 90s or 100s (over 30 C for the imperially impaired :p), any piece of ever has-been-a-ciggie stinks. Get them away
- Inappropriate swimwear. This irks me a lot for some reason. I guess for some albinos or with a skin that should be kept away from daylight for medial reasons (being a vampire fan doesn't count as a medial reason) a t-shirt and shorts might be seen as appropriate... but then why not go swim after the sun doesn't hit the pool anymore? Before 8 AM or after 6 PM. Pick your time. There's also some lady who seems to be um, 'ethnic' and I could imagine the 'ethnic' reasons would sometimes be used for using a more conservative swimwear, but that's just BS. While in Rome, do as the Romans do. While in Texas, wear Texas-appropriate swimwear. If your Gods allow you to swim, then the same good better allow you to wear appropriate swimwear to respect the local customs wherever you live. If he/she/it doesn't allow it, cut it or change your world views. Oh, and for the other category that always seems to swim in inappropriate swimwear, that is t-shirts etc = the fat teenagers: wearing a t-shirt etc makes you look just fatter.
Why is it so hard for some people to wear actual swimwear if they go swimming? Get your completely private pool if you don't want to wear what's generally seen as appropriate, but keep the long sleeved sports wear and t-shirts out of the pool
- People blocking the pool. Add 10 or 20 people doing nothing but standing in the pool, not moving (except the arm and that for drinking the beer WHILE at pool) and how on earth are you supposed to swim there? Pool is for swimming. GTFO while you drink your beer. And GTFO for the ones who swim in a way that makes it impossible to swim in the longer direction of the pool. I get angry when I have to watch carefully where to swim because of things or people of various ages swimming in inappropriate and completely random patterned directions. Those patterns would be better in a kid pool, so while there is none in the smaller area pools here, I'd gladly kick all those of the age where they wear diapers (at pool? That's more gross than bringing your dogs to the pool) and/or cannot swim in a direction appropriate for the pool use and without interrupting other people's swim patterns, to the junior pool at the main pools. Which is like less than 3 minutes walk away with a shortcut.
Overall I've been surprised many times in the past months when I've seen well behaved children. I guess after a number of years of Ireland they seem quite rare.
Weather will hit 100 F mark in the next few days. That will be time spent at pool, and with some good reads.
I got some new toys recently: an ice cream maker (I got the green one as they didn't have the yellow ones in store), some new ikea shelves and gadgets, a few books... on the list of next ikea purchases will be this table set (the first table or dining set that I actually like enough to buy. And I'm not big on 60s or 70s styles) and one of these bookshelves (in white, like the billys and lacks that are already in use for books etc here).
Anyway. What prompted for a proper update was the increasing need to rant.
Not about too personal stuff (at least for now), but rather of the annoyances of the external kind. While I try to keep in shape by swimming enough daily, the pool is an excellent place for observing these annoyances.
What really annoys me at swimming pools would include e.g.
- People bringing their children and NOT supervising them. C'mon, it's a residential pool. If you bring your kids, they are your resposibility. It's very clearly in the pool rules. No one should do your parenting for you
- Screaming people. This usually includes the rather younger kind, but is not limited to them. I can't stand people of any age screaming or making loud noise. Most loud 'things' at pool seem to be under 5, but teenagers occasionally annoy for the same reason. For them I just don't buy the excuse of hormonal peaks causing the loudness and stupidity - I've never particularly been in good relationships with even the hormones my body produces, and I never had the screaming age at my teens. Just keep... and keep them quiet, thanks
- People talking on phones... and having a "private" discussion. Hey, I want to either swim or read at the pool. The last thing I'm interested in (ok, after listening to anyone's offspring's doing a concert with their vocal chords) is listening to anyone's hours long "private" phone discussion. Switch the damn thing off! Or go inside or somewhere else to finish it off
- Smoking. Wtf? Why does anyone have to smoke at pool? When the temperatures in the sun hit 90s or 100s (over 30 C for the imperially impaired :p), any piece of ever has-been-a-ciggie stinks. Get them away
- Inappropriate swimwear. This irks me a lot for some reason. I guess for some albinos or with a skin that should be kept away from daylight for medial reasons (being a vampire fan doesn't count as a medial reason) a t-shirt and shorts might be seen as appropriate... but then why not go swim after the sun doesn't hit the pool anymore? Before 8 AM or after 6 PM. Pick your time. There's also some lady who seems to be um, 'ethnic' and I could imagine the 'ethnic' reasons would sometimes be used for using a more conservative swimwear, but that's just BS. While in Rome, do as the Romans do. While in Texas, wear Texas-appropriate swimwear. If your Gods allow you to swim, then the same good better allow you to wear appropriate swimwear to respect the local customs wherever you live. If he/she/it doesn't allow it, cut it or change your world views. Oh, and for the other category that always seems to swim in inappropriate swimwear, that is t-shirts etc = the fat teenagers: wearing a t-shirt etc makes you look just fatter.
Why is it so hard for some people to wear actual swimwear if they go swimming? Get your completely private pool if you don't want to wear what's generally seen as appropriate, but keep the long sleeved sports wear and t-shirts out of the pool
- People blocking the pool. Add 10 or 20 people doing nothing but standing in the pool, not moving (except the arm and that for drinking the beer WHILE at pool) and how on earth are you supposed to swim there? Pool is for swimming. GTFO while you drink your beer. And GTFO for the ones who swim in a way that makes it impossible to swim in the longer direction of the pool. I get angry when I have to watch carefully where to swim because of things or people of various ages swimming in inappropriate and completely random patterned directions. Those patterns would be better in a kid pool, so while there is none in the smaller area pools here, I'd gladly kick all those of the age where they wear diapers (at pool? That's more gross than bringing your dogs to the pool) and/or cannot swim in a direction appropriate for the pool use and without interrupting other people's swim patterns, to the junior pool at the main pools. Which is like less than 3 minutes walk away with a shortcut.
Overall I've been surprised many times in the past months when I've seen well behaved children. I guess after a number of years of Ireland they seem quite rare.