Black Lipstick Days

About the author: Tenshi can be best described as a GenX-er with Goth tendencies. Although she is a thrice-married mother of one, she refuses to grow up or grow old. She lives in boring Orlando, FL with her husband and a roommate who could be his twin brother. The house is always full of people and happy noises. Welcome to her life! About her bi-weekly column: Black Lipstick Days is all about some spooky chick vomiting her thoughts out for all of you to see and then avert your eyes from. There is no set list of topics you'll see here; it all just depends on what tickles her fancy that week. There will be lots of ranting. You have been warned. View all articles by Tenshi, 2HC Columnist...

Ugh… just ugh. When did people start living in little bubbles? I mean, I remember years ago when the silliest thing you would see people do is pick their noses in their cars because they don't realize other people can see them. Nowadays though, it's like people do whatever they goddamn well please wherever they please because they don't care that other people can see them or hear them. It seems to have gotten worse and worse as time wears on.

I remember the days when you would go to a fancy restaurant for a good meal and if so much as a child started to act up or a baby cry, one of the wait staff would speak to the parents in hushed tones to quiet the situation so as not to disturb the other patrons. Today, however, it seems as though everyone turns a blind eye to rambunctious children and view it as some sort of new type of detachment parenting or whatever. Parents are never told that their children are being a disturbance in the restaurant. Hey, guess what? I paid good money for the meal and the atmosphere of this place you know and your fucking disturbing me! Maybe if neglectful parents were made to pay a fine to the other diners for not properly controlling their children, perhaps they would be more aware of their little hellion's actions. It's not like you go to a restaurant for food alone, because if that was the case, you could get the recipe for the dishes you like and make them at home much cheaper and without the irritation. So yeah, you ruined my ambiance and now you've got to make it up to me.

Oh and speaking of ruining the ambiance of my dining experience…for fuck's sake TURN OFF YOUR GODDAMNED CELL PHONE! I don't give a shit about Muffin's manic depression or how Tad's football team is doing this year. Is it really necessary to have these people call during a meal to tell you this inane shit at ear deafening volumes?! I mean first of all, if you really really must know what Biff got on his SAT's *right now* then perhaps you could put your fucking phone on vibrate so the rest of us don't have to hear the thing ring a hundred times before you answer it so we know that you downloaded "Baby One More Time" from Brittany Spears and just "how cool" you really are! Now, once you have finally answered that goddamned thing, perhaps you could keep up your end in a somewhat conversational tone as opposed to yelling into the thing as if the person is in Bangladesh! Last I recall, there is a volume control on the phone that will allow you to hear the other person at varying volumes and for your voice to be magnified as well when necessary. I guess most people forget that with technology that gives convenience, there are also improvements and you don't have to yell for fucks sake!

Ok, look I have nothing at all against cell phones really. I have a cell phone. It keeps me in touch with my child and with my parents. It's less expensive than having a home phone and tons more convenient. I do, however, have a sense of other people being in existence around me. When I am at home, I'll have the ringer on, but anywhere else, I'll keep it on vibrate so that only I know when I get a call or I'll turn it off all together if I am not expecting an important call (like someone is on fire basically). Also, when I do get a call, I do something crazy! I speak to that person in normal, no actually almost hushed tones and tell them to wait a moment while I *exit the place of business* and speak to them outside where I will disturb no one! I know, nutty eh?! I think more businesses should put up "No Cell Phone" signs and reinforce that policy wholeheartedly. Granted, I also think that businesses shouldn't have to do that either and that people should be considerate of their fellow patrons and do the right thing, but you and I know that won't happen. Most of the people who are at fault with this are the "I'm Better Than You" crowd, you know, middle management types that have to prove their constant worth by their wallets as opposed to the strength of their character, yeah, them. Last thing on the loudness in restaurants, if you are having a conversation with your fellow tablemates and you notice that the restaurant is somewhat reserved in atmosphere, then keep the goddamned conversation down! I don't care about your life and don't need to know your world views either, so keep your voice down! Christ, even my child knows that when you are out somewhere you use your "inside voice" so that you don't disturb other people. Why can a 9-year-old do this, but grown adults seem to forget this little fact? Grrrrrrrrr….

One last thing, if you think you stink, don't wallow in cologne go take a fucking bath… some of us like to taste our food, not your au de toilette.

*grumble*

When not trying to make pretty pictures, write, sew, doing yoga or dealing with John Q. Public, Tenshi can usually be found either trying to tame a wild wolf or gathering up a six pack of Asian school girls for her hubby (which is essentially the same thing).