Saturday, July 03, 2010

How To Be a Guest and How to Be a Host


Some days I'm such a bossy know-it-all that I think I should have been Miss Manners' understudy. Aside from that, someone recently remarked that not everybody in fact actually knows all the societal rules of etiquette. Therefore, these guidelines might bear repeating for any who have ears to hear, or occasion to read, as a way to make overnight visits more comfortable for both sides.

Responsibilities of the Guest:

  • Make plans well ahead of time and remember the arrangements (write them down).
  • Stick to the plan or advise the host immediately of the plan changes.
  • Clean up your mess before leaving and don't make unnecessary work for the host.
  • Offer to help with food costs or take the host out to eat.
  • If in doubt about your boundaries, ask the host first.
  • Ask the host if they have clean sheets in order to make up the bed before leaving.
  • Carefully remove all belongings so the host doesn’t have to deal with them later.
  • Thank the host.


Responsibilities of the Host:
  • Make note of the plans and don't forget them (write them down) .
  • Make physical preparations before the guest arrives for sleeping, eating, and a place for the guest to put their belongings.
  • Ask the guest if they need anything, knowing that the guest may not feel comfortable to ask.
  • Tell the guest directly to help themselves to X or Y (like the frig, the TV, etc), realizing they may not feel comfortable to really“make themselves at home” without being specifically told.
  • Tell the guest where you are if you leave and the best way to contact you if needed.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Another New Bird

Today I had to get up early to drive Rachel to Ft. Worth. I had about 3-4 hours to kill, so I found a parking spot at the nearby Trinity Park. Lots of joggers and bicyclists about, and it was a nice day for them since the recent rains have cooled it down to the mid 80s.

I forgot my hat, camera and birdbook, but I did have my binoculars so I spent an hour birdwatching along a little tributary of the river between 8 and 9am. It seemed to be the perfect hangout for herons/egrets--I saw 6 different ones as I walked along a quarter-mile stretch: great blue heron, little blue heron, great egret, snowy egret, green heron, and--a new one for my life list--a pair of yellow-crowned night herons. (photo below stolen from the internet)



I observed 17 species at the park today. My Birdstack Life List is up to 238. It seems like I added two new life birds today, but that is due to the split in Mallards to include Mexican Ducks. I decided these were Mexican Ducks because they were speaking Spanish.