One of the things I love about going to Santa Fe this time of year, in addition to the general magic of the place, is that it's very empty downtown. However, since we stayed through Sunday, the hoards of New Yorkers descended on the square beginning Friday and sort of ruined the vibe.
Disclaimer - I was born in New York, and went to college there, and am allowed to make these observations. The people who come to Santa Fe from New York are completely unbearable. I think I know what Europeans must think about American tourists when I see what happens here every year.
Friday night we were having dinner at Pasqual's. It's a teeny tiny place and you're very close to - touching, actually - other diners so there is no hiding your attitude there. This greatly enhances the pain of badly behaved people, four of whom were sitting practically in our laps.
Observing these people, I realized that we may have misplaced our "entitlement" label on the millenial generation. I think it's their parents who are the problem.
As the waiter was placing our steak knives ONTO OUR TABLE, this diner YELLED at him - "HEY - WE NEED SOME TEA OVER HERE!" I was completely mortified. This man had no decorum whatsoever, and clearly the world revolved around him. I stared at him in total disbelief. Santa Fe is a lot like Austin - it's a very low key, laid back place. People yelling and snapping their fingers are a complete oddity. Not that it would have been polite behavior anywhere else.
The boorishness continued throughout the meal. Shocking.
But then on Saturday, my opinion of the millenials' parents guilt was confirmed. We went to have lunch at a casual restaurant where a lot of people were watching a football game. In walk some older folk in about the same age range. Before they even sit down, the woman grabs the waiter by the arm, which was a shocker all in itself - and tells him she needs the remote control to the TV so that she can change the channel. Nevermind the 20 people watching the game with their friends - she was here now and those TVs needed to be changed to suit her.
He went away. When their waiter came, again, she loudly proclaimed that she needed the remote control. He said he would talk to the manager. She grumbled after he left. She ordered tortilla soup and her husband ordered fish and chips. This is how loud they were. In a room where people were yelling at the TV, if that tells you anything. Their food comes and she's so agitated by the TV she isn't watching that she can barely focus. The manager comes over and tells her he can't change the channel because everyone is watching the game. She growls and hmphs for a while and then proceeds to eat her poor husband's fish and chips. Two glasses of wine did help her attitude some. They should make a wine breakfast cereal, really.
So next time you see an entitled, trophy-seeking millennial behaving badly, take a look at their parents. I believe we've found the source.
Today, Hope You Can Cling To kicked off on Splitcoast! I got to host the first challenge, which is called Inner Strength. I challenged people to include a dimensional image on the inside of the card which shows through an opening in the front.
I chose the Best of Butterflies set with the matching punch for mine - and popped it up on a dimensional. The wing is over the side of the circle I punched, so it actually holds the card closed, and the wings flap when you open the card.
The panel on the front is watercolor paper, that I watercolored with a Coastal Cabana reinker. When that was dry, I fingerpainted the clouds with white and grey acrylic paint. I colored the butterfly with Tombow markers. The greeting is from Express Yourself.
I hope you can come play in the Hope You Can Cling To challenges - we have more than $5,000 in prizes to give away, and all of our cards go to the MD Anderson Cancer Center breast cancer unit.
And check this out - starting on October 7th, you can sign up to be a demonstrator and join my group for only $25! Yes, you read that right.
Lots going on this month - hang onto your hats! Loveyameanitbye.
Related story: Attended my son's HS graduation it a major sporting venue - HUGE. Sign on the doors to the complex: No Air Horns, and No Saving Seats.
ReplyDeleteI find a seat in an empty row, and immediately a family comes in and puts coats over the chairs in 3 rows including mine. Nice.
The rest of their party arrives, including a passel of pre-teens, armed with cell phones, of course.
Throughout the ceremony, they laughed and texted their friends in other rows, including turning around and laughing at them.
Many times I asked them to please stop so I could hear the speakers on stage. Nope.
Finally their mom turned around and asked me what the problem was. I told her I just wanted them to stop for 10 minutes so I could hear my son's name announced. She ROLLED HER EYES at me and turned back around. The girls all laughed and I left.
Oh, did I mention the air horns from the other side of the arena. Yeah.
In other news, I need to try those finger-painted clouds. LOVE them!
You always have stories I can relate to! It's destiny that we are friends :-) We had one of the best if not THE best waiters we've ever had (and my mom and I have some baaad luck in that department) at Weber Grill in Chicago last winter. Not only was he amazing to us but also kept his complete cool while the a-hat drunk old dude a table over was just that...and a-hat. The waiter was very personable and was helping us decide what to have for dessert and this guy just starts yelling at him to get his attention. The waiter told him he'd be with him and the guy....Just. Didn't. Get. It. I can not STAND rude and stupid behavior and this guy was very together! My mom told him how much we admired his ability to take it all in stride and we made sure to give him a GOOD tip! I'm assuming the a-hat probably tipped him nothing. I did feel bad for his party/wife but hello, they should have gotten him out of there!!!
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