Eating Mexican food is my all time favorite hobby. I vehemently live by the cliche that tacos make everything better. Everything. There is not a dang thing tacos have not solved in my life.
There’s Mexican Monday. Taco Tuesday. Whaacamole Wednesday. Thick Burrito Thursday. Fajita Friday. Salsa Saturday. Strawberry Mojito Sunday.
I don’t remember exactly what day of the week it was, but there I was… eating Mexican food. Dipping the chips in the salsa and queso when my server, serves me my meal with big bright blue gloves. His little blue rubber thumb kinda touches the side of rice. I instantly flick the rice onto the floor (Did you expect anything less?). The server asks, “Does everything look good?”
With cheese dip dripping down my face, I forced a smile to reveal my satisfaction. “I am soooo good!” (I mean, I am eating Mexican food, I’m definitely good)
He waddled off with his big bright blue gloves to take (dirty) plates away from the the table next to me. And… something about that wasn’t right.
A few bites later, with his big blue gloves… here he shows up to pour me more water. As I always do, I said, “no thanks”, because the tip of the water pitcher has probably touched the tip of someone else’s glass. I, somewhat rudely, told him… “I’m good, I really am alll good!” My face definitely told him, “PLEASE, leave me alone!”
Off with the big bright blue gloves he went, and not 3 minutes later, he came back to take away my salsa platter.
Excuse me? Salsa is an ongoing event. No need to take away the half full salsa platter. So, I said again…”Listen, I am really good, I am going to use that salsa!”
Two more times this man checked in on me and I think I may have had the first Mexican meal that I did not enjoy. That meal made me realize, there are some things we immediately have to stop normalizing before we all get vaccinated and get back to “normal!”
A few tips…
Let’s NOT normalize glove wearing.
Wearing gloves to pick up dirty plates and then serving my fresh food with the SAME gloves on… let’s think about that. Good ‘ol fashion hand cleaning, really really works!
Wearing gloves while pumping gas, and then taking off the gloves and NOT washing hands isn’t helping. You literally just touched the dirty gloves as you took them off. Germs all over your hands. All over. Come on.
Wearing gloves in a grocery store and then touching your face with those gloves is like not wearing gloves, and touching your face.
Let’s normalize NOT checking in on me and removing my plate while I am eating.
First of all, I don’t want to chit chat during my meal. I have no desire to talk to you with a mouth full of food. I LOVE eating by myself. I am not lonely. I am needing alone time with my food.
Second, I want to finish my meal. I may slow down, but that doesn’t mean you can swipe my plate away. OR MY SALSA! Saying, “take your time”, but asking me 549 times if I am done is giving me anxiety! (Note, I don’t overstay my time)
Second and a half… don’t take my plate to the back to box the left overs up. I got this.
Third, the more you check on me, the riskier it gets with you know… spreading stuff. Let’s get a thumbs up/thumbs down system going or a buzzer like on airplanes/hospitals. We will let you know if we need something.
Fourth, we use straws… so we don’t contaminate ourselves with pitcher to glass germs! Don’t let the pitcher touch the straw either!
Let’s normalize paper towels in bathrooms.
Hand dryers are blowing all the germs. EVERYWHERE.
And that piece hanging down, is just collecting who knows what. Be aware.
Let’s normalize colonoscopy selfies.
I think what would be way more entertaining than vaccine selfies and hash tagging “science”… is if we normalize colonoscopy selfies. You gotta hashtag “science stinks sometimes”…
Anywho. For those who care or not… or are otherwise judging… I am fully vaccinated and ready to party!! That is if the microchip in my head, completely controlled by the government and inserted by the second dose, will allow me to!
Come one! You gotta have some fun!
Travel Ninja 