White shoes. Even for weddings, I cannot stand them. The design may be gorgeous, nevertheless my brain starts scheming master plans about how to set said shoes on fire. Any shade darker than butter is acceptable though.

Red roses. Yuck! Hate the color, hate the shape, hate the fact that they’re the go-to flower for any occasion for most people. Bring me one of those and I’ll beat you on the head with it.

When you say “expresso”. Are you for real? Do not write it down, or say it out loud.

When you say “macaroon”. Yes, I know macarons are the new cupcakes, all the Internet is going gaga for them, everybody’s trying their hands at new recipes and salivating over pictures from Ladurée. But really, if you cannot stop yourself from defiling these awesome desserts by putting Hershey kisses on top, at least get your spelling right!

Wedges. They are an abomination. The ugliest shoes ever invented. It’s like you’re wearing bricks on your feet. Every time you put them on another baby seal dies. Just fyi, the ones in the picture are Louboutins. Still ugly is shit.

Pigeons. I cannot stand them and also I am scared of them. Shell-less snails and any other type of mollusks are more appealing than these disease-infested winged rats. Thank God the trend of releasing pigeons at weddings is dead. I would be one bat-shit-crazy photographer otherwise.

When you purposely add soft focus to a picture. Why would you use Photoshop to make photo worse? Blasphemy!

Any pet peeves of your own?

He’d brought lunch. Sandwiches and fruit salad. He gave me the last piece of melon because “it’s the best one”. We chatted for a bit. He started rubbing my hands because it was really cold outside. We said goodbye. I left. I smiled and still am.

I’m writing this because I don’t want to forget it.

D: The lids on these plastic coffee cups are pretty sturdy.

Me: I sense a good story behind that sentence. Go on, tell me.

D: Well, it happens very frequently when I go to work – I have to somehow juggle a cup of scolding coffee, a muffin, watching a TV show on the iPad and the messenger bag that keeps falling off my shoulder. I sometimes get greedy and actually want to take a bite of the muffin. Getting it out of the paper bag with just one hand is a contortion exercise in itself, but somehow I manage to do it. Then I place the cup of coffee on the iPad, like on a tray… Why are you making that face? But that’s when, somehow, the very delicate balance is broken and I drop the coffee.

[Laughter ensues, on both parts]

D: So back to the lid. Not only do I not spill coffee on myself – well, who am I kidding, not only do I not spill A LOT of coffee on myself, it’s inevitable – or the people in the elevator… Did I mention this happens in the elevator? But also, after this spastic episode, I pick up the cup, and… coffee. I still have my coffee after performing a Cirque du Soleil juggling act.

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Talk about first world problems, right?