Everywhere a test

Annoyance #1:
I quit cigarettes one month ago (for the 100th time), but I didn't actually give up nicotine (instead of quitting cold turkey, I decided to switch to "Nicorette Brand Nicotine Lozenges - now available in three delicious flavors!"). Ugh - the darned things are more addictive than the cigarettes!! And they have a side-effect, too - I lose my sense of smell. Not entirely, but very noticeably. So, after taking these lozenges for a month, I tried to go without them for two days ... the withdrawals were bad enough, but then I noticed that I could smell again. ICK! There are so many things that STINK in this world! I could smell mechanical fumes in my car, chemicals on people's lawns, and the stench of dirty cooking oil when I passed by the fast food restaurants. ICK! It took only two days for me to put myself back on the lozenges. Will I ever really break the habit?

Annoyance #2:
I'm taking a test for a new professional certification this Saturday (I'm going to add some more letters after my signature block). Since I already have the hardest certification, this one is supposed to be easier, but the people that made it use different terms to refer to the same concepts. In addition, it's one of those tests that contains tricky questions and answers (they purposely try to mislead the reader into making simple mistakes based on grammar or tense. Note to test creators: This is a very stupid way to design a test. I know this material inside and out. I could write my own book on the subject. And yet, I disapprove of the way that you are presenting this material. Just ask straight questions and let people pick straight answers - it's so much better that way! When you create tricky tests, you tend to attract people that memorize words; that's okay for short-term knowledge, but it doesn't PROVE anything. Long-term knowledge can only be tested by essay questions or simulated situations. Get it together folks!

Annoyance #3:
When I try to quit nicotine, I seem to get annoyed a lot - even at little things that wouldn't normally annoy me. { What the hell is that all about ??!?!!? }

Note to self: It would be a good idea to avoid talking to people when I'm trying to quit nicotine. I'm not a very nice person when I'm having withdrawal symptoms.