When In Doubt Don't Bounce!

The other day while I was out trying to enjoy a quick lunch, I found it quickly interrupted.

A couple of tables away from me there were two ladies and a toddler. Knowing that toddlers will be toddlers, I specifically choose a table a little bit away from them. But I found it wasn’t the toddler that I had to be worried about.

I soon realized that it was the little boy’s first birthday (Yay! Happy Birthday!) and that his mother and her friend had brought him out to have a cupcake on his actual birthday. From the conversation I overheard, his birthday party was taking place in a couple of days.

The little boy’s mother then left the table to go order something else to eat. It was quickly apparent that the friend didn’t quite know what to do with the little boy. (To me he seemed very content sitting there and smiling at the ladies that he could make eye contact with.) So she decided to pull out a toy. This toy was a conglomerate of plastic things on a bouncy string. She then began bouncing the plastic things on the table.

Everyone close by figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t the little boy bouncing the items due to the rhythmic sound the plastic was making as it struck the plastic table top. Just when I thought I was the only person annoyed by the noise, another customer next to me looked up and had a similar expression of disbelief on her face.

The little boy finally turned around and looked at the toy, but then he did something interesting…he pulled it from her hands and he dropped it on the ground. YAY! But that wasn’t the end of it. She then proceeded to pick up the toy and started bouncing it again. Once again the little boy took it from her and guess what? He dropped it on the ground!

Now, I am not a baby expert, but….I am thinking that if he really wanted to play with the toy, he wouldn’t keep dropping it on the floor. Well, obviously she thought she was a baby expert so she picked up the toy yet AGAIN and began to bounce it on the table!

Fortunately the little boy’s mom returned and the bouncing stopped. Maybe she heard it from the counter and decided to put us all out of our misery and return to the table. Thank goodness for small favors!

Restroom Cell Phone Talking

Have you ever walked into a restroom to hear someone having a conversation but obviously there is no one else in the restroom other than you two? Then you quickly realize that you have a 'cell phone restroom talker' on your hands!

I first ran into this problem a few years ago with a family member. We were out to lunch when they excused them self to use the restroom. After some time passed (enough time for them to use the restroom in my opinion) I had to use the restroom myself. As I entered the restroom, I could hear my family member talking. I proceed to handle my business and leave the restroom. When they finally returned to the table I inquired about what I had witnessed in the restroom.

They proceeded to tell me that their cell phone rang as they were entering the restroom. (Me thinking: 'Um, why couldn't you let it go to voicemail?'). They decided to answer the call and proceed on with their business at hand. I think that after some strong words I succeeded with the world having one less cell phone restroom talker.

Now, there now seems to be an epidemic with talking on a cell phone while in the restroom. I was at work the other day, and a co-worker was inside the stall talking on their cell phone. It was obviously a personal call ('How are my doggies doing?) and not something life changing ('You have just won $1,000,000!).

I left the restroom to vent my frustrations to another co-worker. I soon realized that maybe I am the only person that has a problem with people talking on a cell phone while in the rest room!

Me: Can you believe that someone was just in the restroom talking on their cellphone?!

Co-Worker: (laughing) What's wrong with that? What are they supposed to do?

Me: (thinking - are you serious?!?!) They have two choices. If they are on the phone prior to entering the restroom, they can end the call ('May I call you back in a few moments?') OR wait until the call is finished and then enter the restroom.

Co-Worker: But what if the phone rang as they were walking in?

Me: (thinking again - are you really serious?!?!) They have the option of not answering the call and letting it go to voicemail, answer the call and tell the person you will call them back in a few minutes, or take the call and once you are finished proceed to enter the restroom.

Co-Worker: What is your problem with talking on a cell phone in the restroom?

Me: (thinking - SERIOUSLY???) It is an invasion of my privacy! I am in there for legitimate reasons. Now I feel like I have to be quiet (IE - not flush the toilet) because someone else is having a conversation. And heaven forbid that I have a really serious bathroom problem that produces a bit more sound!

Me: And let's not even go there about their hands touching the cell phone and then trying to wipe themselves. Are they disinfecting the cell phone once they leave the restroom? (Note to self: don't EVER even think about using someones cell phone again!)

After a few minutes, I realized that I was not getting anywhere with my rant. Then I began to wonder, am I the only person who has a problem with people talking on their cell phone in the restroom?

Kid Sized Grocery Carts

I would really like to know who thought up the 'great idea' to create kid sized grocery carts?

I have to believe that the person who thought of this idea is a parent. A parent that probably thought 'This will give little Suzy something to do while we are in the grocery store. Suzy will feel like a big girl because she helped Mommy with the grocery shopping'. And in a perfect world of teaching responsibility to children, this would have been a great idea.

Problem? Someone forgot to create 'The Rules' for the kid sized grocery cart! And this is where I step in...

Rule #1 - Kid sized grocery carts can only be used Tuesday through Thursday between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm. (Sorry if Suzy has school. An education is far more important than pushing a grocery cart.)

Rule #2 - Only one kid sized grocery cart per family. (Yes, I have seen a family of 5 in the grocery store and all three of the kids were pushing a kid sized grocery cart. Why not use Dad to his fullest potential and give him a cart since he tagged along?)

Rule #3 - The kid sized grocery cart shall remain within 3 feet of the adult sized grocery cart at all times. (Why does Suzy need to be alone half way down the aisle with her kid sized grocery cart?)

Rule #4 - There must at least 5 items from the grocery store in the kid sized grocery cart. (Did you really only give Suzy a kid sized cart just to push her doll in in? Seriously?)

Now, if every parent will just follow the rules everyone like me (childless and in a hurry) will have a much better grocery store experience.