Despite any evidence to the contrary

I'm really an easy-going, forgiving person. Not much bothers me, except well, my own children's annoying behaviors.

But that's because they do it on purpose.

You know they do.

But really, OPK (Other People's Kids)? They don't bother me.

I know babies will coo, or get cranky; and toddlers are needy and don't have refined manners. They're just doing what they're programmed to do. I understand that.

And I'm VERY sympathetic towards harried mothers who might be at their wit's end.

But what DOES annoy me is people who bring children to places and events where it is not appropriate - either due to the time of day, or the content, or the atmosphere.

You know what I mean. The people who affect the mood of your romantic dinner when you are at a fancy restaurant late in the evening. The couple who insist on bringing their kids when you invite them over, even though you've suggested that they get a babysitter so you can enjoy adult conversation.

And the group behind me at Bride Wars yesterday who had not one, but two alternately crying and cooing babies. And a passel of children of other assorted young ages. Clearly not a group of children who had any remote understanding of the situations and comedy of the movie.

I'm not annoyed at the kids. In fact their behaviors wouldn't have attracted any attention at say, Bolt, or Wall-E. But Bride Wars? It was very annoying. And the stoopid twit mothers just kept bouncing their little bundles of joy despite the fact that their sounds were annoying to others.

And to top it all off? I swear one of the babies needed a diaper change. Pee-uuuu.

I was on a roll yesterday, because DD and I went to out to eat last night since the guys were in NYC licking their wounds in the long car ride home from Giants Stadium.

The downstairs was fairly empty and yet they sat an extended family 7 next to us. In a corner. A crowded corner.

The elderly parents had smelly unwashed hair and the woman had more facial hair than her husband. They had a weird unwashed, old person/homeless aroma about them. The rest of the family (adult siblings and their families) were oblivious and in fact, didn't really talk much to the elderly grandparents at all. I think the elderly mother spoke 2 words the entire time. I'm not even sure she ordered her own food. But the teen boy knocked over his water glass and ice cubes not once, but about 3 times and then started drumming a beat on the table and then proceeded to cluck his tongue.

Argggghhhh. I can get that crap from my own Rude Teenage Son. I don't need it from someone else's.

I'm sorry. Some of that was mean -spirited. Truth be told, had it not been for the Teen-age son, I wouldn't have noticed the rest.

I know, I sound like a curmudgeon.

Sorry. Rant over.