I see a theme emerging

Today I noticed two things that bothered me. Duly, I filed them in the Things That Bother Me part of my brain, for later consideration of relevant irk-factors. Because, dear reader, of course I Must Know Why.

1. Cash-register receipts. Those maddening slices of shiny thermal paper you get for EVERY transaction you have the misfortune to conduct in your daily business, slightly curved as though they wish they were an autumn leaf, but they aren't. One for your lunch. One for using the ATM. One for the packet of Q-tips you bought at the pharmacy in the afternoon. And so on and so on and so on until it looks as if there is a miniature fax machine living in your handbag, constantly receiving encrypted messages from the unknown. Jeez.

2. Wedding invitations from people that you know vaguely, for ceremonies that are occurring very, very far away. Not the next county, but the other side of the world.

Common irk factor: implication that you should do something that you're not going to. In the case of the receipt, every time I get one of the damn things I'm reminded that certain hyper-anal individuals are actually keeping them as records of the bloody transaction, perhaps even using them to *gasp* help with their budgeting! Or even *choke* checking them against their bank statement and cheque book! Heaven, say I, forfend. Just give me my goddamn sandwich and stop making statements about the way I discharge my financial duties, mmkay?

Which brings us to distant wedding. Implication. Financial. Not. Join the dots.

And no, I don't want a receipt!