First World Problems – Page 2 – Angry Zack's Anger Diary

The $27,000 Trash Can

Dear Diary …

I have something shocking to reveal about myself. Never in my life did I think I’d become a person of such excess and extravagance, but it is true and I need to accept it and confess it to you. I own a $27,000 trash can.

Crazy right? You probably think I’m making this up, but it is totally true. I never thought I’d get to a position of riches where I would own a $27,000 trash can. And even if I DID end up gettin’ that rich, I still never thought I’d be a person who would spend $27,000 on just a trash can.

But friends … it’s true.

Now … I should point out that this trash can wasn’t originally branded and sold as a trash can, it was initially referred to as something called “a car.”

I originally purchased it with the plans of using it for it’s intended goal … to be a car … but I see now after driving my children all around town for the past six months, this large metallic object on four wheels isn’t actually a car to them, rather a large moving receptacle that is available for all of their filth and garbage.

This car ain’t even that old and there’s just trash all over the place. And muddy footprints on the door and one of the seats has some kind of stickiness on it … almost like syrup. Who had syrup in the car? At no time did I serve pancakes in this automobile, so where did this syrup-like substance even come from???

And don’t even go in the trunk … because that’s actually a $27,000 gym locker filled with baseball equipment, wrestling shoes, gross socks and God knows what else. Actually … God probably doesn’t know what else, cuz he ain’t stickin’ his holy nose in that nasty funkbox to find out.

These monsters simply don’t care! And what gets me the most is they come in the car with a drink or a snack or something, and when they leave the car, they just leave the trash. They don’t even give it a second thought. Empty chip bag can actually be IN their hands and they’ll just toss it on the floor and walk out.

And whatever jerk invented those pouches on the back of the chair … Henry Ford or whoever … yeah I hate that guy. All he did was invent a hidey hole of rotting garbage that you’ll never be able to get fully clean since there’s no way to scoop out all the nastiness that collects in there.

I mean if you told me as a kid that I’d own a $27,000 trash can, I’d be all excited because I’d think I was loaded. Meanwhile I’m scrapin’ together coins just to buy a dozen eggs at the store because they’re about as absurdly priced as this $27,000 trash can!

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye.

You Dumb Avocado

Dear Diary …

Enough. Let’s tell the truth. There’s really no food on earth dumber than the avocado.
“Oh superfood … oh healthy fats …”

Oh whatever!

No food ever ends up as a waste of money more than the avocado because first and foremost one thing always reigns true …

Either the avocado you buy is hard as a rock and you gotta wait a week to even try to use this thing, or it needs to actually just be cut open and eaten right there in the store before it goes bad.

They’re just too fragile. You buy one that’s ripe, and the dang thing is gonna get bumped and bruised all the way home to your kitchen.

And if it does manage to somehow survive the ride, your challenge is now you get to take your life into your own hands by trying get that giant pit out while wielding the sharpest knife in your house like some sort of old-timey swashbuckler.

And if you do survive this trial without slashing your own wrists, you now have roughly 11 seconds to start eating the thing before it turns all shades of a dirty baby diaper.

And if you do manage to get this alleged “superfood” to your lips before this happens … what is your final reward?

A mushy weird indescribably green oddness that fills your mouth and tastes … well … meh. It’s not terrible, but was it really worth it?

Stupid avocado. And I can never get it right. I buy one avocado and it’s gone in one second and I wish I had another avocado on hand, but if I buy two, I end up with a rotting brown orb sitting on my kitchen counter that I never get around to using.
Complete waste of money.

Last week I had this dumb avocado staring me in my face in my kitchen for a couple days, and I finally break down and decide to take the thing to work and eat it for breakfast on some sad hipster avocado toast.

And as I get out of my car …. carrying a bunch of stuff … of course Mr. Roly Poly Avocado slides out of my grip and doinks onto the ground of the parking lot.
Strike one. Because now it’s all but guaranteed that half the thing is rotting before my very eyes.

And as I look down to find this avocado in the pitch dark of four o’clock in the morning … SQUISH … Strike two … stepped right on it with my foot.
Gone. Dead. No recovery here.

So I took that idiot superfood and I just winged it as hard as I could into the trees behind the radio station. Strike three you worthless avocado!

Doritos might not be good for you. But Doritos never do you dirty like the avocado.

“Superfood” my butt!

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye

The Bready Disaster

Dear Diary …

Something I never understand is why we let certain things exist even though they are completely dumb or just flat out wrong. And yet … we do absolutely nothing to correct it, and just go about our lives putting up with it.

Over the weekend I made sausages. Now … I don’t go making no sausages from scratch with giant tubes and whatnot. I bought sausages … made some peppers and onions … throw ‘em on a sub bun … and whop-PEOM … sausage and peppers.

Here’s the problem … the sub bun.

Bread has been around since … like … you know … Jesus … but in all that time we still allow that when you buy sub buns … and hot dog buns are like this too … if you buy ones that are pre-sliced, it is done in a way where 95% of the bun is on one side of the slice, and then this thin, wispy little bread layer is left on the other side. And from there … disaster is guaranteed 100% of the time and your bun is falling apart and sausage is splooging all over the place while you try to eat.

WHY?

There is no reason for this!

Just slice it evenly down the middle and we don’t have a problem. There is not a human alive that wants it the way we currently do it … so why is this OK?

Here’s another one …

I went to the store recently because I have a drill … and the battery on the drill is dead. So I go to buy a replacement battery.

And guess what I learned?

Replacement batteries for your drill cost more than just BUYING A NEW DRILL that comes with a brand new battery!

HUH?

And I tell this story to somebody and they say, “Oh yeah, that’s a thing.”

Why is that “a thing?”

Like I don’t understand the reasoning at all. Why am I getting more stuff for less money? And why am I paying more money for less stuff?

If I need new tires for my car, they don’t cost $32,000.

It just seems so simple … and yet here we are making it harder on ourselves for no reason.

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye.

You’re Awful. Deal With It

Dear Diary …

Oh man … here we go again. That time of year where we all lie to ourselves.

“It’s January and I’m going to start fresh and make all kinds of changes!”

Yeah yeah yeah … feel like I heard this one before.

Ugh it’s so annoying … gotta look at a work refrigerator with a bunch of yogurts in it. See a bunch of randos at the gym. Listen to dumb phrases like “New year … new you!” over and over again.

Look … people … can we just face the facts here? You’re awful. And that’s OK!

I’m not saying I’m any better … I’m awful too, but what DOES make me better is that I am at least honest with myself … recognize that I’m awful … and lean into it.

Let me tell you a story about burritos …

For the longest time, I used to heat up a breakfast burrito for … well … breakfast. Tasty, easy, satisfying. But then one day my stupid brain said, “Boy we should really start the day with something healthy, wealthy, and wise.” And me, since I’m a idiot, listened to my brain and said “No more burritos! We will now have things like yogurt … or oatmeal!”

And I am here to report that after doing that for the last bunch of months … I hate it!

Yogurt is so dumb. Like who in their right mind would say … Hey you know what I want for breakfast? Something white, creamy, and tangy. Barf!

And oatmeal? Who am I … Oliver Twist? Please sir … can I have some more? I don’t wanna feel like I’m eating like poor people from the 1800’s or those sad gray humans who were fighting in the Matrix. Oatmeal and gruel are the same thing … nuff said!

And here’s the other thing … it’s not like I looked any different because of my super amazing sad breakfast of health. I looked exactly the same … just felt less satisfied every morning.

Sooo … I’m going back to burritos!! And guess what? I am eating one right now … and it is delicious … and I am not sorry about it at all!

Stop lying to yourself and acting like you’re some sort of perfect human. Just be the same awful person that you always were … and be the best dang awful person you can be. Like somehow you’ve healed all the woes of the universe because you did Dry January? Cuz all you do is go right back to Wet February anyway … so really … you’re just a fraud for a month and none of us should trust you.

Do YOU wanna trust someone who claims they have changed, but deep down knows that they’re just living a lie and are going to go right back to their old ways in a couple weeks? Of course you don’t.

So to my fellow horrible humans I say this … go out there and be terrible … it’s way more fun and genuine anyway.

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye.

Pentatonix is the Devil

Dear Diary …

I know this is gonna rub some people the wrong way because they’re all popular and for some warped reason people actually like them, but Pentatonix is the devil. And if you don’t know who Pentatonix are … oh my God you’re so lucky … can I live in your cave with you please?

But if you don’t actually know … they’re that accapella beatboxin’ bee-boppin’ whozomijanglin’ group of doofuses that won some kind of show … I don’t know … the Voice … or Sign Off … or America’s Got a Headache … one of those things … and they’re basically best known for destroying Christmas songs.

OK look … I’m not a hater … (OK … I’m totally a hater) … but I just wanna be clear … they’re super talented. Way more talented than me. But their talents are being used for evil, because they just HURT when I hear ‘em.

Diary … I love Christmas music … but when I got my Christmas music on I want …

[[[CHILL XMAS MUSIC STARTS[]]]

Ohhh yeah … there it is. Let’s hang out by the fire … have some egg nog … Merry Christmas baby.

But then all of a sudden you get … [[FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA]]

Ugh! Why are there so many people? Singing all at the same time!

[[FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA / MORE FA LA LA-ING]]

Ugh! So many fa-la-la’s … stop!

You see what I’m talking about? It’s like a headache. Why do they have to be … so … just … [[FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA]] … THAT?

Again … they’re talented … but I don’t want my Christmas music sounding like the loudest episode of “Glee.”

[[CAROL OF THE BELLS STARTS]]

And this one … there’s so many people making noise … all at the same … and who’s this low talkin’ guy?

Alright that it! Christmas is cancelled!

I’m sorry ya’ll … they stink. I’ve been to middle school Christmas concerts that were less hurty than Pentatonix. Even the name … it’s so SHARP … PPPP … PEN … TA … TON … Golf tee in your temple.

OK I can’t take it anymore. I’m outta here. Till next time Diary … I say … [[FA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA]]

Ugh.

Bye.

Are We Shakin’ or Not?

Dear Diary …

OK … we’re going to have to come to an official decision here. Back in the day we used to shake hands. And when I say “back in the day,” I of course mean “before COVID.”

When COVID happened, the handshake was pretty much the first thing to go bye bye (unless you were some weirdo doing to whole “I’m French so let me kiss you on each cheek” thing … that was RIP #1). And it’s fine that the handshake went away too … I totally get it. We were wicked scared of COVID, so we didn’t do it any more.

But now here we are a couple years later, and yes I know we can still sit here and say “COVID is serious, we need to take it as seriously as ever,” and that’s fine too, but we’re also definitely not wicked scared of it anymore.

So I gotta ask … are we shaking hands or not?

I really don’t care either way, but what I’m sick of is the awkward “handshake/fist bump/which one you going in for and am I gonna be able to guess right and not have it be weird?” … that thingamabobber we got going on right now. I hate it! It’s like playing the Rock, Paper, Scissors Grown Up Greeting Version.

One … two … three … shoot!

Ahh … you threw “fist bump” my bad!

And I’m totally fine with just banning the handshake forever. Too many times it’s all jacked up anyway because you get a bad grab, or you mess up trying to figure out how hard you shake the hand of somebody of the opposite sex, or … you know … COVID. So can we just agree on it, make an official decision, and move on?

Also … can we just agree … that while it WAS a good idea at the time, we don’t really need all of these curbside pickup parking spaces anymore?

At the grocery store? Sure.

But we don’t need three designated curbside pickup spots at the liquor store anymore. I ain’t seen a single human use those things in months, outside of me of course because I’m just parking in them now. Whatchoo gonna do about it? Tow me?

The other ones that are ridiculous are the ones taking away parking spaces on city streets. Nobody needs those anymore!

And as somebody who knows the restaurant industry, I can promise you right now that 99% of restaurants don’t even wanna deal with curbside pickup anymore. They’re already short handed INSIDE, they don’t need to try to run food outside to some random person. And be honest … anybody using that service right now ain’t doing it because they tested positive for COVID, they’re doing it because they tested positive for “lazy.”

It was a perfectly good idea in the moment, but it’s time to move on.

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye.

7 Layers of Sadness

Dear Diary …

It is always so hard in our lives to resist temptation … mainly because temptation is AWESOME! It’s all the best stuff! Eatin’ … drinkin’ … other stuffin’ … but sadly it’s all mostly bad for you, so you gotta try to resist the temptation.

Now … not ALL temptation is fun and awesome. Some of it is a total trap. You think it’s going to be fun and awesome, but then it ends up being totally overrated and a web of lies. So today … I’m going to rat out some of those things, so you don’t get duped into doing them.

Because look … there’s a lot of temptation … especially during the holiday season, and you want to make sure you’re spending your time on the GOOD temptations and not the total letdowns.

So … this holiday season … resist the temptation to throw an ugly Christmas sweater party. I know, I know … you’re thinking, “But it’ll be so zany and fun!” OK … well … it ain’t.

First … you make all your friends have to go buy an ugly Christmas sweater, and since the internet has caught on to this dorky little trend, those things are EXPENSIVE. Now you’re dropping 60-70 bucks just to buy something that you KNOW looks terrible. That’s just wasteful.

Then … you show up at this party and EVERYBODY looks terrible. Part of the fun of parties is going there and having everybody look cute and awesome so you can all drink too much eggnog and end up doing other temptation-y things under the mistletoe.

But nobody wants to do do that when you all look unflattering and terrible. Not to mention HOT. And not … “Oh that girl of there is hot” … I mean, “Holy crap this heavy ass wool sweater is HOT and I’m about to pass out.” Face all flushed … sweaty and gross … yeah … this is the worst party ever. Resist the temptation!

Oh … and when you’re at these holiday parties … please resist the temptation to bring the single most overrated appetizer in the history of food … 7-Layer Dip.

“But Zack … it sounds so yummy!”

OK … well … it’s not. Seven soggy layers of things dumped out of a can and onto a plate. Barf. I blame Instagram and Pinterest for this one … because you see these 7-Layer Dips that look all pretty, and you think, “Ooooh … I’m gonna make that!”

Problem is, that’s before anybody has touched them. And as soon as one human takes one chip and scoops that dip one time … it starts to become an oozing sludge of bean juice, sour cream, and salsa water. When’s the last time you wanted to eat a food that could be described as “wet and runny?” So why start now? Resist the temptation!

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye.

Screw the Supply Chain

Dear Diary …

I hate excuses. It’s just such a wimpy way to wander thru life. Just accept responsibility for whatever happens and move on. Is that really THAT hard to do? Apparently it is, because we LOVE excuses, especially when we could find big blanket ones that all of society could lean on.

Remember when bullying became the big excuse for everything? Now don’t get me wrong, actual bullying is wrong and needs to be dealt with, but we started using the term “bullying” for everything. All of a sudden you were free to screw up, and if anybody called you out on it …

“They’re bullying me!”

No. You screwed up. All they did was point out that you screwed up.

“But it hurt my feelings. Bullying!”

Yeah … see … that’s what I’m talking about. Or like when everybody started using “COVID” for just about any excuse you wanted. Wanna flake out on plans? COVID. Wanna just not show up to work? COVID. Cheat on your wife? Uhhh …. COVID?

But here’s the one we’re in right now and I am straight up over it … “Supply Chain.”

We use “supply chain” for pretty much any excuse we want.

Why is a loaf of bread $5? “Uhhh … supply chain.”

And why is this shelf empty? “Oh you know … supply chain.”

No! No more supply chain. I get it … just like the bullying thing … there are times where it is the legitimate explanation, but we’re just using it as an excuse to get out of things.

Like let me give the grocery store a heads up right now … when Thanksgiving week gets here again … people are gonna buy more heavy cream, more butter, and more herbs. There! You have ONE YEAR to prepare because I guarantee you that next year people are gonna … again … buy more heavy cream, more butter, and more herbs. This will NOT sneak up on you!

And this is not a post-COVID thing … I remember VERY well that back in 2019 the same shelves were bare. This should not happen! You run a business right? And the goal of your business is to make money, right?

I mean … I’m no Jeff Bezos but if I own a business that sells heavy cream, butter, and herbs … I’m gonna make sure to have plenty of those things available when people wanna buy them so I can MAKE MORE MONEY.

Look at me … giving sage business advice! (Sage .. I should use that … it’s an herb.) Maybe I’ll write a book or something!

So don’t you “supply chain” me anymore. Look … just tell the truth … we don’t really wanna work harder so you’re just gonna get what you get and then we go home for the day. I respect that answer more already!

Till next time Diary … I say .. Goodbye.

Your Timing Is Terrible

Dear Diary …

I know we like to say, “Never say never,” but sometimes you CAN actually say “never” because I do believe that NEVER in the history of recorded time, has it ever been a good time when your phone, computer, or app wants to do an update. Never not once!

Would you like to update your software right now? No! No I would not!

Shall I remind you in an hour? No! No you shall not!

Your timing is the worst. And you wanna know why? You only ask when I’m trying to use you!

Here’s a crazy idea … update when I’m NOT using you. And yes, I know you can set auto updates, and I DO set auto updates, and yet here we still are, dealing with your questions.

That’s the problem … not everything is auto. Here’s a crazy idea … 1am … when I’m not doing anything … update everything.

“But we need you to click OK on our 4,000 page user agreement”

Good lord … just steal my thumbprint and authorize it on my behalf! You steal my privacy for everything else already, so why are we doing this song and dance on a giant document we all know darn well I ain’t gonna read anyway. Just do the update!

Moving on Diary (speaking of bad timing) …Why does every kid on Earth pick the exact same time to make all of their most important and time consuming life decisions ? Furthermore … we all know what “time” that actually is … Bedtime.

Every single kid wastes away their entire day … and then five minutes before bedtime …

“I think I need to do my entire science project.”

“Maybe I’ll clean the basement, too.”

I mean just SHOCKING that at the time you’re supposed to be going to bed, suddenly NOW you’re inspired to make all of your life’s decisions. Perhaps you’d like to do your taxes? Decide on which college you’d like to attend? Map out some solid mutual funds? All two seconds before bedtime.

But God forbid you do anything at 3pm … that’s prime “iPad time wasting time” … can’t possibly do anything of value then!

And I’ll be honest … the main reason at play here is … I’M TIRED. I wanna go to bed! And is it so wrong of me to want like 15 minutes of grown-up, no kid time without you? Nah … kids are much happier if they suck you dry of all your waking moments from the second your eyes pop open until the second you fall asleep.

And then on the weekends, when I can actually stay up a little later, I have my daughter coming downstairs … “When are you guys going to bed?”

Later!! What’s it matter to you? Go to sleep!

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye

You’re Gettin’ Robbed

Dear Diary …

The world is full of thieves. People are constantly trying to steal stuff from you … money, personal information, your valuables. Now … a lot these thieves get caught, which is certainly a good thing. And yet … there is one group of thieves that is basically going unpunished, and this is just downright WRONG. Yeah … you know who you are … women and children!

“Oh no! There’s danger! Save the women and children first!”

Oh whatever! You mean “save the thieves first?” Because that’s actually what they are.

Thieves. Specifically “Charger Thieves.”

Men … you can be rest assured … if you have a phone charger and you aren’t guarding it with your life … it will eventually be stolen by some woman or child when they come across it.

In my kitchen we have two chargers. Chargers that are to be used for my kids’ iPads. And with those chargers comes one rule … leave these chargers right here and never take them anywhere else. Oh who am I kidding? There’s no rule. I may TRY to have that rule, but every time I go to that counter … ain’t no chargers there.

Where are the chargers?

“Oh it’s in my room so I could charge my iPad?”

Um … why aren’t you charging it here like you’re supposed to?

“I don’t know”

And where’s the other charger?

“Oh it’s in my car.”

Why aren’t you using your own charger?

“I don’t know.”

Thieves! The whole lot of ‘em. And it doesn’t stop there. They steal mine all the time too. Oh but yours was closer. So? Go get your own ya thief! Because the same thing happens every time … I can’t find the chargers and nobody seems to know where they are or what happened to them.

And if I had to guess … they’re probably in the same place as all those tupperware lids that seem to go missing and are never matched up to any of the containers in the drawer.

You’re a bunch of thieves and you know it!

Till next time Diary … I say … Goodbye