Just a little list....

I feel its time to update people on the use of manners.

1. Say "thank you". Plain and simple. Whether its for a gift or because someone has opened the door. I double-checked, and as of today, we have no royalty in this country. I am not a peasant destined to let YOU go before me in traffic or pick something up that you dropped out of your purse. I am trying to be kind and considerate. The least you could do is say two words....thank and you. That's it. (Insert your first practice "thank you" for this advice here)

2. Say "excuse me". Plowing into someone, stepping on a foot, passing gas, burping, sneezing on someone's arm.....all good reasons to say this. Of course, the words have taken on of more of a thug appeal with the "Excuse me??".......so be careful how your influction works. And while its been more than 30 years....Steve's "Excuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!" is still a little over the top in most social situations. And leaving me standing alone at a party to go talk with someone more interesting in another room will always be rude whether you say these fine words or not.

3. Say "please". I realize we are in a society where everything is fast,fast, fast. But chopping this word off of your sentences,people, will really not buy you that much time. In fact, I could probably be so bold to say that the food service industry, especially servers, would probably bring your food within the desired bacterial limits if you didn't take the words "food order" so literally. I'm not implying that any server would ever make someone's food unfit to eat for being rude...that would never happen.

4. Don't put your purse on places where people eat. Yuck. My purse has seen likes of many floors, counters, and shopping carts......many being "party central" for most of your human secretions. And while I would like to think that everything I own is perfectly sanitized, when you put your purse up on the table at a restaurant, you might as well have put your shoes, underwear, and child's dirty diaper up there with it as well. At least I'll know not to order the finger food appetizer.

5.Learn to observe body language. Just because you trap me in a corner at my desk, doesn't mean you can ramble on about your mother's garden for 20 excrutiating, ear-bleeding minutes. When I look at the clock, , look over your shoulder like there's something important coming (like a tsunami), or turn around and face my computer....that's a signal that "your times up.....thanks for playing!" I should not hear you comment on the picture of my aunt on my desk, my plant that is dying, or the type of candy that I have in my Garfield candy dish. I should hear the pitter- patter of your shoes leaving for your next victim.

Thank you for reading this.