Friday OT - That Reminds Me

[Angie]

Thanks so much to @MeadForMyHorses for this idea! I have struggled lately so please shoot me any ideas you have!

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Does anybody have a weird but harmless involuntary mental connection or trigger?

I will let them give their examples, but an example for me is semi inappropriate. One time @Mr Janny and I were driving on E Lincoln Way near the waste processing facility. It was actually a really sad time for us due to some personal things, so our frame of mind was pretty down. Janny was on the phone with his sibling who was checking in on us.

As we drove by the waste facility, we saw a… female sexual aid in the road (or men, I don’t judge, that was just the original use). (A

Spoiler

very large, dark grey-colored dildo

.) This obviously stopped the conversation in its tracks. Janny told his brother that we would have to call him back, then we circled around to try to come back and make sure that was indeed what we saw. It sure was, just right in the middle of the road.

I immediately assumed some brilliant college kids had left it there as a prank. Janny wanted to think that some of the waste engineers had found it in the trash and were throwing it at each other, when it sailed out a window and into the street. Anytime we drove on E. Lincoln Way for the next week and a half, we watched as it kept getting driven over and progressively filthier and filthier. It looked like it had really been used aggressively by the end.

So… that is what I think of any time I drive by the waste facility on E. Lincoln Way. Delightful, right?

Hopefully your examples are a little less gross!

 

[CYCLNST8]

People that walk slow when I'm stuck behind them. I know a lot of people can't help it (handicapped, elderly, etc). I'm always in a hurry and in pretty good shape for my age. On the outside I am patiently and politely giving them their space. On the inside I'm screaming.

 

[Angie]

People that walk slow when I'm stuck behind them. I know a lot of people can't help it (handicapped, elderly, etc). I'm always in a hurry and in pretty good shape for my age. On the outside I am patiently and politely giving them their space. On the inside I'm screaming.

Driving. I am an impatient driver at best, so I’m with you!

 

[pourcyne]

People that walk slow when I'm stuck behind them. I know a lot of people can't help it (handicapped, elderly, etc). I'm always in a hurry and in pretty good shape for my age. On the outside I am patiently and politely giving them their space. On the inside I'm screaming.

Oh yeah, people who stop in the middle of somewhere and block pedestrian traffic. We always say we're practicing for the airport. Swear to God, people who get off the plane and stop dead in their tracks at the main concourse are always on my flights where I have a short connection.

Totes oblivious to anyone around them.

 

[MeanDean]

I want to jump up and take over, like the guy in the "Don't Be Your Parents" commercial. When I'm flying and I watch someone put their carry-on into the overhead with the handle out when it will definitely fit turned the other way. Be considerate and leave more room for others' bags.

The other is waiting patiently in line at the checkout. We're all wishing we could get out faster. The person watches the checker scan everything and finally when the order total is ready, THEN they decide maybe they have to pay. Then they start digging into their pocketbook (sorry ladies, especially old ladies, this is almost always female). Digging through for money or leafing through their 37 credit and debit cards for the right one. Why didn't you have that ready? Did you think you weren't going to have to pay this time?

 

[pourcyne]

Driving. I am an impatient driver at best, so I’m with you!

Good thing I live in a rural area with not much traffic. Bad drivers populate a non-political context that brings out the f-word in me.

In the day, my primo insult was "Drive your car, Grandpa." Now I realize that I am probably older than the slowpoke in front of me.

 

[MeanDean]

Good thing I live in a rural area with not much traffic. Bad drivers populate a non-political context that brings out the f-word in me.

In the day, my primo insult was "Drive your car, Grandpa." Now I realize that I am probably older than the slowpoke in front of me.

When I'm driving at a goodly pace, usually about 5-10 over, and someone tears past me like Armageddon is 1/2 mile behind and gaining fast, my muttered comment is, "You go, girl!" (Regardless of the driver's gender.)

 

[pourcyne]

I want to jump up and take over, like the guy in the "Don't Be Your Parents" commercial.

Hate him. Hate the ad. My parents were amazing. The greatest generation.

When I'm flying and I watch someone put their carry-on into the overhead with the handle out when it will definitely fit turned the other way. Be considerate and leave more room for others' bags.

I hate when I am in the Z-999 boarding group, get on the plane and the overhead is already full. There ought to be a law. Have taken to checking my carry-on just to be hands-free during layovers and avoid the nasty surprises once on board.

The other is waiting patiently in line at the checkout. We're all wishing we could get out faster. The person watches the checker scan everything and finally when the order total is ready, THEN they decide maybe they have to pay. Then they start digging into their pocketbook (sorry ladies, especially old ladies, this is almost always female). Digging through for money or leafing through their 37 credit and debit cards for the right one. Why didn't you have that ready? Did you think you weren't going to have to pay this time?

Again, totes oblivious to anyone around them. Another reason why I have no problem with self-checkout. My time is worth money whether I'm actually getting paid for it or not.

 

[MeadForMyHorses]

Here are two that prompted my suggestion:

- Every time I floss my teeth, I think of the old KXNO radio gang. I remember one of them, maybe Keith, maybe Ross, maybe Siepker, describing in detail how he flossed his teeth and I can't get it out of my head when I'm in the middle of flossing.

- Every time I put laundry detergent in the washing machine, I think of an old boss from 30 years ago. Why? I'm pretty sure it's because she called me about some dumb work issue while my wife and I were shopping for a new washing machine on a Sunday afternoon. Now I pour in the detergent, there's my old boss Linda in my head. Make it stop!

 

[CYdTracked]

Probably most of my triggers are pet peeves when I am driving like people not using turning signals, people that dangerously weave in and out of traffic nearly causing an accident only to wind up right next to you at the next stop light, people that flash their high beams at you even though your high beams are not on (and yes I intentionally flash my high beams back at them so they know what they really look like) people that honk at you when you are at a red light and waiting for a safe moment to make a right turn on red, probably some more things but my kids have ratted me out to my wife when I have dropped an f-bomb or given someone the bird over stupid driving so I get reminded "daddy flipped someone off here last week when they honked at him."

I do have another thing that kind of fits this. Long time ago was driving down a neighborhood hill in the winter that there was already a cop on scene for another accident at the bottom of the hill. My car started to slide and I was worried I was headed right for them so was trying to steer my car toward a curb and hope I could stop. I wound up jumping the curb and hitting a phone pole. Cop said he was glad I hit that and not them. It damaged the pole enough that Mid American had to replace it and when they did they just put a new pole in right next to it and cut the top off leaving just the Medicom cable line on it. That damaged pole stayed there for several years until Mediacom finally moved their line to the new pole so it could be removed so I drove by that pole many times and was reminding me of that day. Would joke "there's the pole my insurance paid for!"

 

[pourcyne]

When I'm driving at a goodly pace, usually about 5-10 over, and someone tears past me like Armageddon is 1/2 mile behind and gaining fast, my muttered comment is, "You go, girl!" (Regardless of the driver's gender.)

Usually the people who pass me are those young bucks in their 3-mile-a-gallon F-250 Sooper Doody diesel driving to pickle ball practice.

Waiting for the day when they bring back debtors' prison. [insert sarcasm emoji]

 

[somecyguy]

Oh yeah, people who stop in the middle of somewhere and block pedestrian traffic. We always say we're practicing for the airport. Swear to God, people who get off the plane and stop dead in their tracks at the main concourse are always on my flights where I have a short connection.

Totes oblivious to anyone around them.

 

[MeadForMyHorses]

Here's another I just remembered:

I grew up outside a small town with a typical main street. When I was about 7, I had my heart set on buying a toy car at one of the stores. When I saved up enough money, I rode along to town with my dad to buy it.

When he pulled in to the parking spot across the street from my store, he went into the hardware store while I ran across Main Street to buy my dream car. As soon as I reached the other sidewalk a man stopped me and said, 'Did you know you almost got hit by a car?' Of course, by the time I got back to the car, my dad had heard all about my stupidity and scolded me.

I could never play with that toy without thinking about my near death and its consequences and I could never have fun playing with it.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Here are two that prompted my suggestion:

- Every time I floss my teeth, I think of the old KXNO radio gang. I remember one of them, maybe Keith, maybe Ross, maybe Siepker, describing in detail how he flossed his teeth and I can't get it out of my head when I'm in the middle of flossing.

- Every time I put laundry detergent in the washing machine, I think of an old boss from 30 years ago. Why? I'm pretty sure it's because she called me about some dumb work issue while my wife and I were shopping for a new washing machine on a Sunday afternoon. Now I pour in the detergent, there's my old boss Linda in my head. Make it stop!

My go-to phrase when I wake up tired and not ready to go to work is "time to make the donuts" from the old Dunkin commercial. Just fits my mood then

 

[Bipolarcy]

Thanks so much to @MeadForMyHorses for this idea! I have struggled lately so please shoot me any ideas you have!

———————

Does anybody have a weird but harmless involuntary mental connection or trigger?

I will let them give their examples, but an example for me is semi inappropriate. One time @Mr Janny and I were driving on E Lincoln Way near the waste processing facility. It was actually a really sad time for us due to some personal things, so our frame of mind was pretty down. Janny was on the phone with his sibling who was checking in on us.

As we drove by the waste facility, we saw a… female sexual aid in the road (or men, I don’t judge, that was just the original use). (A

Spoiler

very large, dark grey-colored dildo

.) This obviously stopped the conversation in its tracks. Janny told his brother that we would have to call him back, then we circled around to try to come back and make sure that was indeed what we saw. It sure was, just right in the middle of the road.

I immediately assumed some brilliant college kids had left it there as a prank. Janny wanted to think that some of the waste engineers had found it in the trash and were throwing it at each other, when it sailed out a window and into the street. Anytime we drove on E. Lincoln Way for the next week and a half, we watched as it kept getting driven over and progressively filthier and filthier. It looked like it had really been used aggressively by the end.

So… that is what I think of any time I drive by the waste facility on E. Lincoln Way. Delightful, right?

Hopefully your examples are a little less gross!

I don't know if this is what you're looking for, but every time I hear certain songs, they take me back to where I first heard them or where I was when they were popular. For example, Joy to the World by three dog night always transports me to Friley Hall, specifically the area where they used to have a seating area where they would serve hot dogs, chips and drinks. I think they also had an outdoor patio, because that's mostly where I go when I hear the song,

 

[NWICY]

People that walk slow when I'm stuck behind them. I know a lot of people can't help it (handicapped, elderly, etc). I'm always in a hurry and in pretty good shape for my age. On the outside I am patiently and politely giving them their space. On the inside I'm screaming.

I used to be the passer when walking nowdays lots of time I'm the passee, circle of life and all. Thank you for being courteous.

 

[mapnerd]

 

[CYCLNST8]

View attachment 166932

Yes! Me too. But I like to use MY BARE HANDS.

 

[Cyclonepride]

This is more of an involuntary physical, but it immediately came to mind, so I'll share it.

My left arm is dumb. I'm a pretty coordinated person, but I knock stuff over constantly when I use my left arm. I just reach for something with it and away it goes. Scares the crap out of the dogs and annoys the crap out of my wife, but once I told her about it, she understands a bit more.

We were playing a board game last year and I grabbed something from the table to pick it up and this dumb arm just jerked up and launched it over my shoulder. We were just rolling on that one. I was like, I TOLD YOU IT WAS DUMB!

 

[pourcyne]

Does anybody have a weird but harmless involuntary mental connection or trigger?

I will let them give their examples, but an example for me is semi inappropriate. One time @Mr Janny and I were driving on E Lincoln Way near the waste processing facility.

It just occurred to me that the next time I am in Ames on Lincoln Way, I will be on the look-out for a couple driving around trying to find a black you-know-what.

ON THE STREET.