Gratuitous Rant

I just made a quick Starbucks run during the first few minutes of the streaming video of the Senate confirmation hearing for the new Ambassador to Pakistan. At least, I thought it would be quick, since Starbucks is only 50 feet away from the front door of my Rosslyn annex building, but I was caught in a long line of customers and had to cool my heels for about 20 minutes.

But that wasn't the annoying part. The annoying part was when people would walk in to Starbucks, look at the loooong line of customers snaking through the store, and ask me "are you in line?"

While I know it is petty of me, and unreasonable, and totally uncalled for and unwarranted ... still ... I can't help but be irritated by that question. I always have to bite my tongue so I don't reply the way I want to:

"In line? Why, no. I was just wandering along on my way to some other place when I became lost in thought and forgot where I was going and ended up standing still, right in this very spot. And all these other people in front of me are likewise lost in thought and motionless. And, by some incredible coincidence, we all came to rest at the same time and place, standing one behind the other, all facing in the same direction. So I can easily understand why you would think we are all in a line waiting to order coffee."

If I ever actually said that to someone, I would immediately be embarrassed and filled with remorse.

On the other hand, that confirmation hearing was over in only thirty minutes, so now I'm going to have to watch it after the SFRC posts it on their web site. Arrrgghh.