Reader Poll: This Is What Annoys You

And, drumroll please...here are your annoying Facebook responses--annoying as in this is what irks you.

• Watching folks who litter look on as their garbage hits the ground. I wonder what they're thinking as they watch themselves be lazy and selfish. "I'm so proud I lack compassion and respect."
  
• A message I just got from match.com: "just wanted to say hi! working half a day then off to the beach! if i see a naked girl on the beach i'll just assume it you! ;) lol have a great day!... ...steve"
  
• The little box that pops up and asks you if you mind leaving a secure setting. If you say NO, you can't move forward. You have to say yes. Why ask? And what setting is really secure anyway?
  
• I hate the SEND ERROR REPORT!! Where does it go anyway?
  
• When co-workers think that the newspaper a department subscribes to is fair game for themselves. Especially when someone takes it to the restroom and then has the nerve to return it!
  
• National Geographic channel now being self-referred to as “NatGeo.” That’s stupid. I took me forever to figure out what that meant. Wait…am I stupid?
  
• Being told you will get a raise and a new position if you do a bunch of extra work. You do it for a year and are then told that the conversation never took place. By the way, “Keep up the great work!” Wait…that’s not just annoying—it’s unethical! Time to look for a new job!
  
• When you try to help your child do math, but the schools no longer teach it the way that you learned, to your kid AND you end up confused...grrrrrr!
  
• The same people who tailgate you when they are going 70 mph leave two car lengths when they come to a stop so you can’t make the left turn lane when the light is green.
  
• People who are supposed to know something about what they’re in charge of but seem to know nothing about it and ask you questions as though they never heard of it at all and can't imagine what it's all about. Don't get me started!

And there you have it. Feel free to add yours to the list.

Cute. Really Cute.

Husband submitted this one today, taken in a neighborhood with an over ambitious home owner's association no doubt.

Ahhh, Sarasota.

A Recipe & A Random Picture

These two items clearly wouldn't belong in the same post, but two bizarrely opposite requests for Gropius consideration came in this week: 1. publicizing a recipe for summer salsa and 2. a photo of unknown origin (SignSpotting.com?).

So here we go...in opposite order.

...And Brad Fitzgerald's Summer Salsa:

Ingredients

• 1 – 1 ½ pounds of fresh tomatoes (any kind), stems removed
• 1 onion (Vidalias are great!)
• As much garlic as you think prudent
• 1 regular green, red or yellow bell pepper (not hot)
• 1 jalapeño or other chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed)
• 1/2 cup cilantro or parsley
• Juice of one fresh lime
• Salt and pepper to taste. Add a teaspoon of sugar if desired
• Optional: oregano and/or cumin and/or fresh basil to taste
  

Method

1. Finely dice all dice-able vegetables. If you can, avoid touching the chili pepper with your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the pepper. If the salsa isn't hot enough, you can add a few for heat.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Stir. Taste. If the chili pepper makes the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chili pepper, or add some ground cumin.
3. Let sit for at least an hour for the flavors to combine, or just refrigerate (in glass or ceramic, not plastic or metal.) The salsa will last in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
   Makes approximately 3-4 cups.
   

That salsa sounds good. But the "up to 2 weeks in the fridge" part could be a deal breaker, as they say. It would probably sit in ours for 2 months. We're famous for cooking stuff up and not going for the left overs (terrible, I know). As for that picture, well, no comment. It makes me sad... And hopeful. Obviously, the tree cutting culprits aren't the brightest people in the world. ...Or they have a sick flare for sarcasm. What's that brown stuff in the foreground of the picture? Doo doo?