odd names...and pastimes

People say they have a "pet peeve". What I want to know is what is a "peeve"? I've checked all the local pet stores and no one seems to have such an animal, mineral or vegetable.

Is trying to find a pet peeve kind of like a snipe hunt, where unsuspecting "first-time" campers are sent out into the woods, late at night to find a snipe to capture with only a bag and a skimpy flash light? Of course, all the campers are in on the joke except for the "new kids on the block", who want so badly to be initiated into the seasoned campers' club. Almost everyone who has ever gone to camp has earnestly sought the elusive snipe. And decidedly everyone has never caught one. What newbies do catch is 1) a cold from being out on a damp night, 2) "on" as is finally figuring out that they've been had by the twisted and mean upper classmen of camping, or 3) heck from the adult camp staff, who have forgotten what it was like to be a kid, dragging a gunny sack along, calling out "Here snipe, here snipe" somewhere in the middle of the woods. Even normally kind children, who make it through a snipe hunt, are willing to subject new camp attendees to this little initiation rite of passage.

By the time we're grown ups, we probably won't fall for snipe hunts, so we invent adult versions of them. One of these mythical adventures is called searching for the perfect job--one that has minimal hours, maximum pay, no boss, more holidays than Hallmark has cards, two-hour lunches, five breaks a day, Christmas bonuses larger than the GNP of most countries, 12 weeks of vacation (paid--not only the days off but all expenses incurred on said vacations), as many personal days as you want and need in order to deal with personal issues such as hang nails, chipped nail polish, a run in your panty hose (or hair socks if you're one of those Ralph Lauren/no sock kind of guys), waking up to find that you just don't feel like working, etc. I've been searching for the past two months, and all I've been able to find is dust bunnies under my bed, the missing cap from my toothpaste tube, the hiding place for my extra set of car keys--see how good my hiding place was; it took me two months to find them. Maybe there's a job for hiding things. I would definitely qualify if there were.

Meanwhile, my search for a pet peeve continues. If anyone out there knows where I can find one, please call me. Meanwhile, I will continue to look for the perfect job. I'm not sure I will be able to let you know if I find one, because I'll probably be on vacation or taking a personal day or holiday or a break or a long lunch, so I'll be out of touch. Hey! Maybe I am qualified for the perfect job. Everyone in my family tells me I'm out of touch....