iPhone exclusion

I feel left out when people talk about their iPhones, even though I don't really want one.

elevators

I get really stressed in elevators.

drawing skill

I'm not very good at drawing.

work phone

I don't know how to change the ringtone on my VOIP phone at work.

quinoa smell

I don't like the smell of quinoa cooking, but I do want to vary my grains.

stove light

My stove hood light stopped working.

Stokke chair

Food gets trapped in all the joints of my son's Stokke highchair.

smudged fireplace glass

The glass front of my gas fireplace is embarrassingly smudged.

expensive sandwich

I resent paying $10 for a sandwich, even a really good one.

meetings

I've been spending way too much time in dull meetings with bad coffee.

hit by a car

I got hit by a car in a crosswalk, but me and my bike are okay.

election ennui

I can't be bothered to get worked up about the election this time.

vacation

I really need a vacation.

aging pillow

I wonder if I should replace my pillow now that it's a couple of years old.

blase about movies

I've been finding it hard to take movies as seriously as I used to, which makes me feel old.

weak extractor fan

The extractor fan in my kitchen doesn't work very well.

knitting patterns

It's hard to find a reliable knitting pattern online.

tea consumption

I've been drinking a little too much tea.

dirty windows

The windows need cleaning again.

toddler toys

The floor of my house is strewn with my toddler's toys.

series nostalgia

The TV series I'm watching is so poorly written that it makes me nostalgic for the great series I finished last week.

too much shopping

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the shopping I have to do.

sushi

I don't actually enjoy sushi all that much.

high pub stools

Sitting on high stools in pubs is uncomfortable.

finances

I don't understand mutual funds, but I worry about mine anyway.

ironing

The things I like wearing the most are the things I like ironing the least.

dead nasturtiums

The frost has turned my nasturtiums into compost.

leftover salad

Some component of leftover salad is always unpleasantly soggy or limp.

plumbers

Plumbers make me feel ignorant.

flora-less desk

I haven't gotten around to putting a plant on my desk at work.

crowded grocery store

The grocery store is intolerably crowded on weekend afternoons.

unfamiliar microwaves

I always over or underheat my food when using an unfamiliar microwave.

fashion magazines

Fashion magazines make me anxious.

radio station

I can't find a single radio station that I enjoy listening to all day long.

archive-quality

Archive-quality framing is so expensive.

mud room

Entering and exiting my house would be so much more convenient if I had a mud room.

coneflower hue

I thought I'd planted a red coneflower, but it's actually pink.

long bike rack

The new bike rack on my Subaru makes it even more of a squeeze to fit the car in the garage than before.

inconvenient laundry room

To access my laundry room, I have to walk down a flight of stairs and then do a circuit of the entire basement.

buttermilk

It's hard to find a combination of recipes that will perfectly use up one carton of buttermilk.

phone bill disarray

I hate filing my phone bills.

high mirror

I have to stand on tip-toe to see my face in the shower room mirror at the office.

soup

My stomach is all grumbly from eating homemade tomato soup three nights in a row.

Monday haters

I don't know why people still make tired jokes about hating Monday.

the trailer experience

Watching movie trailers online isn't the same as watching them in the cinema.

bulk fruit

Every time I try to save money by buying huge crates of seasonal fruit, half the fruit spoils before I get around to cutting and freezing it.

excess cardboard

My cardboard recycling container is overflowing again.

soft water

When I re-fill my bedside water bottle at the bathroom sink instead of the filtered tap in the kitchen, it tastes minerally.

tea insulation

My commuter mug is so well insulated that it takes almost an hour before my tea cools down enough to drink.

dictionaries and thesauruses

I have way too many outdated reference books.

low-grade cheese

Cheap feta cheese really isn't worth buying.

limited vases

People keep giving me cut flowers and I only have two vases.

stylish and practical

It's impossible to buy a chic ceiling fan.

hazardous personal products

Deodorant doesn't work as well as anti-perspirant, but I don't like the idea of putting aluminum in my armpits.

hairdo

I think my new short haircut makes me look too trendy.

under-appreciated patio

I haven't just sat and properly enjoyed my patio all summer.

potted plants

I'm all out of potting soil.

child care

Easing my son into a good day home so that I take a lucrative office job is unbearable.

ice cream maker

My ice cream maker is such an awkward shape that it's difficult to store.

Olympic ignorance

There's no way to keep up with Olympic events without a television.

youtube delays

It takes forever for youtube videos to load on my computer.

technological skill set

I wish my Microsoft Office skills were sharper.

night disturbances

When I leave the window open at night, I get woken up at 5:00 am when the sprinklers in the park spray the metal slide.

towel drying method

When I air-dry my bath towel, it doesn't feel fluffy enough.

ice cube tray

I don't like filling up the ice cube tray.

freecycle

I joined freecycle, and now my inbox is constantly bombarded with offers of unwanted furniture.

berry season

I've been eating way too many berries.

daily blogging

I will never catch up on this blog, and should never commit to doing anything "daily".

fudge

I've lost my taste for fudge.

low quality newspaper

I'm always so excited to read the newspaper, and then so disappointed by its content.

silver polish

I can't seem to find a really good silver polish.

fruit flies

It's impossible to have cut flowers in the house at this time of year without attracting fruit flies.

summer duvet

My summer duvet is still too hot for August.

laundry room space

I'm afraid my laundry room won't be big enough when the basement renovation is finished.

shopping online

Shopping online makes me feel overwhelmed and greedy.

loud oscillating fan

The noise from my oscillating fan sometimes drowns out the sound of my alarm clock.

excess couches

I own too many couches.

phone ear

My ear hurts from talking long distance for two-and-a-half hours.

milk chocolate vs. dark chocolate

It embarrasses me that I still prefer milk chocolate to dark chocolate.

benefit plan

I'm worried I won't have enough time to get full value out of the benefit plan offered by my new job. 

50-50

I never win draws.

duvet cover

Whenever I wash my duvet cover, it takes me a surprisingly long and frustrating time to get the duvet back inside.

thistles

My patio is only two years old, and already there's a thistle growing through it.

GPS

I'm tired of people trying to talk me into getting a personal GPS navigation device.

adirondack chair

It's pretty hard to climb out of an adirondack chair once you get it.

Kraft dinner

Whenever I have really bad food in the house, I eat it almost compulsively until it's gone.

early to rise

I don't know what makes me agree to get up early on weekends to jog.

do not call

No one ever takes me seriously when I ask to be placed on their "do not call" list.

legal documents

Reading legal documents makes me feel simultaneously ignorant and superior.

seasonal attire

I prefer fall clothes to summer clothes, which makes this season hard for me.

ethical fatigue

Now that "buying local" has replaced "buying organic" as the guilt-inducing shopping decision of our time, I sometimes feel like just washing my hands of the whole business and going to Wal-Mart.

mouse pads

I can't stand using gritty mouse pads.

wicking fabric

My new hot weather running shirt chafes slightly under the left arm.

irrelevant news

I feel marginalized when I read "fed up with summer re-runs?" news now that my television is in storage during my basement renovation.

ethical shopping

Grocery shopping would be a lot more straightforward if I didn't feel compelled to use eco-friendly cleaning products and buy quasi-locally-grown apples.

dirty fridge

I'm sure the fridge is full of wizened vegetables and pots of mold, but I haven't had time to clean it lately.

lawn mower noise

It's so noisy when the city cuts the grass in the park behind my house.

missed fireworks

I'm annoyed with myself for going to bed instead of staying up to watch the fireworks last night.

rhubarb teeth

My teeth feel squeaky when I eat rhubarb.

reading fatigue

I haven't felt like reading novels lately.

sticky leather

My leather chairs get totally sticky and unbearable on hot afternoons.

heat

It's way too hot to use the oven.

clingstone vs. freestone

It drives me nuts when I inadvertently buy clingstone peaches instead of freestone ones.

friends' blogs

My friends don't update their blogs often enough.

DEET fear

The mosquitoes are so thick right now that I wish I wasn't scared to use DEET (I'm worried it will blind and dissolve me).

quiet music

My desk is so close to my colleague's desk that I have to keep my music at an almost inaudible volume.

sedentary lifestyle

I spend way too much time sitting in a chair, staring at a computer screen.

even lawn

I'm having trouble re-seeding the bare patches in my lawn.

microwave

Sometimes I feel lazy for using the microwave so much.

gas vs charcoal

The gas grill is way easier to use than the charcoal bbq, but the food never tastes quite as good.

job interviews

I get so wound up before job interviews that I can hardly eat.

coffee table

I don't have a coffee table.

latte crust

I can never get the lid of my commuter mug entirely clean.

email vs letter mail

Email will never be as exciting as letter mail, no matter how long and newsy the message is.

unbleached mildew

Using bleach-free laundry detergent means I have to clean mildew out of the washing machine every few months.

overpackaging

Whenever I buy something, I have trouble figuring out which parts of the packaging can be recycled and which should be thrown out.

fresh herbs

Whenever I buy fresh herbs, at least a quarter of the package ends up drying out or going mushy.

x-ray

I lost the x-ray requisition form for a small lump on my wrist.

online bill payment

Even though it takes less than a minute, it's such a hassle to login to the bank so I can pay my bills online.

dish sink

There's no kitchen area at my office, and for some reason it feels unhygienic to wash my lunch dishes in the bathroom sink.

air registers

I replaced all my metal air registers with nicer, wooden ones, but I still don't like the way they look.

dirty spoons

I get unreasonably frustrated when every spoon in the house is in the dishwasher.

preserving tomatoes

If I don't refrigerate my tomatoes, they go mouldy; if I do refrigerate them, they get flabby and flavourless.

dull sandwiches

I wish I had more creativity when it comes to making sandwiches.

dusting

Despite all the products that exist, nothing makes dusting easier or more enjoyable.

technophobia

I'm inexplicably nervous about installing the Nike+ system on my iPod, which makes me wonder if I'm some sort of technophobe.

synchronized traffic lights

I never seem to be driving at the right speed to make it through synchronized traffic lights.

neighbours

Every so often, I secretly wish I could get my perennials watered and my edging done without being interrupted by friendly neighbours.

stain

Some of the exterior paint on my house is sun-faded, so it's impossible to make a perfect colour match for the panel under my bay window. 

energy gel

It's hard to find an sport energy gel that isn't totally unappetizing.

water temperature

Only tepid water comes out of my water filtration system, and the regular tap water tastes slightly coppery.

underemployment

The more administrative elements of my job are frustrating and repetitive.

incorrect spam designation

I missed an appointment because my email spammed an important message.

low battery

My cell phone makes an annoying chirp when I forget to charge it.

dark rug

I have a dark rug in the living room, which needs vacuuming practically every day.

middle class values

Sometimes I worry that living in a cul de sac makes me really bourgeois.

scone failure

The bottom element in my oven only works half the time, so I couldn't make scones to go with my soup.

dry cleaning

I'm not sure if it's better to get my winter coat dry cleaned and deal with it being impregnated with chemicals, or to put it away all matted and dirty.

hectic time

I've been so busy I haven't watched tv for three months.

greeting cards

I can't find a nice but non-corny greeting card for a friend who's expecting a baby.

dirty feet

I can't stand having dirty feet.

dead tree

My hawthorn tree is dead, and even though I know it's irrational, I feel like my heart is broken.

long weekends

I always over-schedule long weekends.

electrolyte balance

I have the flu, all I want to eat is chicken Ichiban noodles, and I don't have any.

eco paint

The low-emissions paint I used in the kitchen scuffs more easily than regular paint even though it cost more.

debris removal

I can't believe how much it costs just to have construction debris removed from my property.

city transit

It's embarrassing that a city of this size doesn't have a reliable subway system.

alternative computer

My Mac laptop is on the fritz, so I have to use the PC that lives in my dusty, dark basement and has a split keyboard that my hands can't figure out.

Mother's Day

Even though I know Mother's Day is a button-pushing retail racket, I still want a present.

baron of beef

Annual corporate dinner parties almost always serve "baron of beef," which bleeds into my green salad.

wall decor

I don't have enough wall space for all the framed pictures I want to put up.

motivation

The wet weather is lowering my jogging morale.

cat water

I don't clean my cats' water dispenser often enough.

office lunch

I'm tired of all the restaurants near my office.

lawn maintenance

I know I should aerate and power-rake my lawn, but I can't be bothered.

waiting for books

I'm 125th on the library hold list for a book about reducing clutter.

environmental guilt

I feel guilty when I use paper towels.

baby monitor

My baby monitor picks up too much static.

fridge door capacity

I wish my fridge door was designed to hold a four-litre jug of milk.

whole milk

I couldn't have cereal for breakfast because I've run out of 1% milk, and whole milk is too rich to eat first thing in the morning.

Flash

I don't like Flash animation.

gardening

I forgot how tiring yard work can be.

filing taxes

I didn't deduct my RSP contributions from my tax return, so I had to do all the calculations over again.

white noise

White noise is so loud on airplanes that I have to turn up the volume on my iPod until I'm worried it might cause hearing loss.

seat height

My husband is a foot taller than I am, which means whenever I use the car after him I have to adjust the seat and all the mirrors.

clumpy mascara

My mascara is getting clumpy.

meat

I'm a little worried that I've been eating too much meat.

unfamiliar grocery store

It takes me twice as long to do my grocery shopping if I have to go to an unfamiliar store.

knitting bag

I wish I had a pretty knitting bag instead of a cloth grocery bag.

seam-seal

I haven't made time to seam-seal my winter boots, and now they leak every time I wear them.

poor driving conditions

I have to put off driving to the building supplies shop until the roads are less snowy.

sock drawer

My sock drawer is overflowing.

snowy barbecue

I'm going to have to sweep snow off the barbecue before I can grill burgers for dinner.

cinema

I haven't been to the movies in months.

shampoo girl

I feel guilty for not tipping the shampoo girls at the salon.

gas station

I never seem to have time to fill up the car.

Le Creuset

My Le Creuset pot is so heavy I can hardly lift it in and out of the oven.

photos

I have way to many digital photos to sort through.

vaccination

It's awful listening to the babies cry at the vaccination clinic.

decaf

I'm trying to address my coffee addiction, but decaf smells like carrots and tastes like vinegar.

wii

The wii system is a little disappointing.

water treatment plant

The stretch of bike path that runs past the water treatment plant smells like sewage on warm days.

place mats

I hate cleaning place mats, because I don't have room to lay them all out to dry and I always end up toweling them off one by one.

splash

I took a mug out of the dish washer without drying the divot in the bottom first, and water splashed onto my pant leg.

peony

The digging that has to be done in the front yard in order to install a new basement window will probably kill my favourite peony.

bottled beer

Even though I prefer to drink beer out of bottles, I resent it when restaurants don't provide a glass.

banking

I have a few questions about the balance of my mutual fund, and I'm fed up with having to leave voice mail messages at the bank.

storage space

It's a hassle trying to find room to store extra furniture while the basement is being renovated.

exfoliation

I never have time after showering to pumice my feet properly.

house plants

I have to water my house plants almost every day in this dry climate.

toothbrush

Now that I'm used to using an electronic toothbrush, I don't feel like my teeth are properly clean when I have to use a manual brush.

49th Parallel

I have to make sure I eat my picnic lunch on the Canadian side of the border so that the U.S. border officials don't confiscate my fruit and dairy.

packing

Packing for a weekend away is as big a hassle as packing for a two-week vacation.

garbage day

I hate taking the garbage out.

toner cartridge

My printer is running low on toner, and everything I print looks streaky and muddy.

baby Tylenol

My baby has a cold, and I can't decide whether I should give him Tylenol or not.

cheap chocolate

I don't even enjoy the taste of cheap chocolate Easter eggs, but I can't resist eating them.

kitchen efficiency

My kitchen is so small that I have to move my coffee maker and compost bin to fit the cutting board on the counter top.

wool rash

The wool rug in my front room gives me a rash if I touch it with bare arms or legs.

dust buster

My dust buster just sprays dust and allergens around the house, so that I always end up having to haul out the HEPA vacuum anyway.

seasonal wardrobe

I'm so sick and tired of all my cold weather clothing.

dishwasher detergent

My eco-friendly dishwasher detergent leaves a powdery residue on my drinking glasses.

entertaining

I have a long, narrow dining table, and when my extended family comes for a meal, the people seated at opposite ends can't talk to each other.

first birthday party

I can't help wondering if I should be throwing a more elaborate first birthday party for my son.

wrapping paper

I always regret buying cheap wrapping paper when it shreds on the corners of the gift box.

dining terminology

I don't fully understand what a gastropub is, let alone a restolounge.

audio books

I can't find any interesting audio books at the library.

hot coffee

I don't drink my morning coffee fast enough, so I always end up having to microwave it.

running shoes

High-performance running shoes are almost always ugly.

haircut

I started getting my hair cut at Aveda Academy to save money, and even though I'm not happy with my current cut, I feel shy and guilty about returning to my regular stylist.

chicken quality

Sometimes free-range chicken tastes no better than grocery store chicken.

south-facing room

My south-facing living room gets too hot unless I keep the blinds shut, and then it feels gloomy.

futon

I'm much to old to still be sleeping on a futon.

free cocktails

Free cocktails at work events are either watered down, or contain blue curacao.

Costco toilet paper

The giant package of toilet paper rolls I bought at Costco takes up way too much space in my house.

carrot cake

I was too embarrassed to ask the barista at the coffee shop to serve me the slice of carrot cake with the most cream cheese icing.

washing machine

I wish my washing machine was on the main floor so I would have to carry clothing up and down two flights of stairs.

cuticles

I've lost my cuticle butter.

jogging stroller

My jogging stroller is a second-hand, 1998 version with awkward fasteners and no drink holder.

car wash

Every touchless car wash in the city has a minimum twenty minute line-up.

cookies

I can't seem to stop eating cookies.

Internet

My wireless Internet was down all day and I felt isolated.

streaky glasses

The non-reflective and anti-scratch coatings on my eyeglasses make it hard to clean them without leaving streaks.

tupperware storage

My tupperware cupboard is always totally disorganized.

Oscars

I can't watch the Oscars at home because I don't have cable.

shopping list

I lost my shopping list from the pocket of my jeans, drove all the way home to look for it, didn't find it, and had to look up my dinner recipe and write all the ingredients down again before driving back to the grocery store.

candidates' debate

I can't believe how boring the provincial leadership debate was.

unflattering colours

I can't seem to stop myself from buying black and grey tops, even though I know those colours wash me out.

hemming jeans

I learned how to hem my jeans so that I keep the original yellow stitching, but it takes twice as long as sewing a normal hem.

cholesterol

I have to go for a blood test to see if my cholesterol levels are normal.

loud breadmaker

My breadmaker is so noisy I have to put it in the basement so it won't wake me up.

lost quarter

The cart I used at the grocery store wouldn't return my quarter.

dvd extras

Most dvd extras are boring.

milk foam

When I buy a latte and the barista doesn't make the milk foam properly, it looks like someone spit on my drink.

malls

Shopping malls depress me.

snow removal

When it snows, sometimes the city doesn't get around to clearing the bike paths until mid-morning.

lame pubs

I always feel ripped off when I pay for uninspired food in a fake Irish pub.

ennui

Some days I don't feel like blogging.

furniture hazards

I stubbed my toe on my ottoman and spilled my coffee.

authentic cosiness

I wish I had a real wood burning fireplace instead of a gas fireplace.

junk

I don't know when I'm going to get around to taking all my old furniture to the charity shop.

kitchen utensils

My best non-stick frying pan is warped.

climate control

The central heating dries the house out and my lips are always chapped.

iPod earbuds

My diath and tragus piercings make my ipod ear buds fall out.

wall decor

This month's calendar page is sort of gaudy.

Kleenex

I accidentally put Kleenex through the clothes dryer.

series obsession

I'm not really enjoying the tv series I'm watching on DVD, but I kind of want to get it watched so I can focus on other things.

cheese dreams

I have disturbing nightmares when I eat too much cheese before bed.

cat tree

The carpet on my cat tree is getting really threadbare.

ink stains

Newspaper ink gets on my fingers and leaves black smudges on my white light switches.

bisphenol A

I have to replace my Nalgene bottle or risk toxic exposure to bisphenol A.

Superstore

I can't stand shopping at Superstore, but it's the cheapest place to buy flax oil for my granola.

handsoap scents

My favourite rosemary handsoap has been discontinued, so I have to use lavender instead.

muffin tray

My metal muffin tray is annoying to clean, but the muffins don't brown very well when I use the silicon tray.

coat shopping

I'm can't seem to find a good down coat that doesn't make me look like I'm wearing a duvet.

shower radio

It's impossible to tune my shower radio precisely, so it always sounds fuzzy and tinny.

laptop

When I watch dvds on my laptop, it overheats and leaves dents in my leather couch.

colour of money

Fifty dollar bills clash with my yellow wallet.

recycling service

After the guy from the recycling service empties my bins, he leaves them in the alley instead of on my front path.

multivitamin size

Generic brand multivitamins are too large for me to swallow comfortably.

snow tires

I'm worried the snow tires on my new Subaru will wear out faster if I drive them on clear roads.

inferior pies

The pies I bought at the Farmers' Market taste like they're made with stock cubes.

diamond maintenance

My hand lotion creates a residue on my diamond ring.