Brackets just don't hack it (except with me!)

I might as well admit it. I've got an addiction to brackets. Not in my every day writing, you understand (no, that could be regarded as lazy) just in my social networking. (Don't you just hate that phrase - I wonder who invented it?)  Anyway, as I was saying, I've been told that I tell stories just like Ronnie Corbett used to do on TV, sitting in front of the camera to make his point and digressing so many times that even he forgot the story he was supposed to be telling. Now where was I? Oh yes, brackets. They can be very useful (especially when you don't want to confuse the reader) and similarly very helpful when you do.  And you'd be surpised how often you see brackets in official notices as in: 'We'll all meet at noon outside the Post Office in Grasmere (weather permitting)' or 'The pony trek will go ahead as planned (all ponies must be accompanied by their owners)'  Anyway you get the gist. And at least I don't have a problem with apostrophes. Now that really is irritating. (You know the sort of thing:  Apple's - 96 pence a pound -  Get your tomato's cheap here.)  But then apostrophes are another thing altogether. And mis-placed apostrophes are written about so often it's almost a national pastime, so they're really not worth mentioning (ok -I just have.) Now,before you ask if I'm going to do something about my addiction (to brackets, that is)   the answer (quite clearly) is No. And yes, maybe my time would have been better spent out in the sunshine than writing this post, but then it's raining. (Very hard, actually.) Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

( Ps - the Collins English Dictionary definition of brackets is as follows: a pair of characters used to enclose a section of writing.)  A right pair of characters they've turned out to be!