Salud

From an unnamed university in the greater San Francisco Bay Area...

So it's my turn to provide a drink for Thirsty Thursday, our weekly outdoor summer cocktail fest. Just like last year, I am making sangria, because I have easy access to cheap white wine and don't feel like coming up with anything else. Instead of just being happy that we have a weekly drinking ritual, other people in our office get really nervous that they might not like this Thursday's beverage usually around Tuesday and start hounding the person for details about their drink.

"I'm making sangria."
"Didn't you do that last year?"
"Yes."
"What fruit are you putting in it?"
"I don't know, probably peaches and limes...maybe melon?"
"Hmmm....I don't like peaches."
"You don't have to have any."
"Will you be bringing just regular wine for people who don't want sangria?"
"No."

Then today, as I was assembling said sangria in the staff kitchen, I received these 3 comments from three separate people who were bombarding the kitchen because there was a rumor spreading around the building that there were bagels and lox in the fridge. (There were.)

"Just peaches and limes? I thought sangria had like 5 different kinds of fruit in it."
"Why aren't you using red wine?"
"Is that going to be enough for everyone?"

It's free booze people. Come, have a drink, get back to your desk to make your emails even more riddled with typos than they currently are. I don't know if my colleagues' sense of entitlement is a reflection of our students' entitlement or vice versa, but what normal person looks a free drink in the mouth?

Lest I lump them all together, I just sent out an email reminding the crew that it was again Thursday and I hoped they were thirsty for sangria. I immediately got a reply from our HR lady and braced myself for her complaint and/or admonishment, but instead all it said was "Excellent." Indeed, ma'am. That is how you respond to the news that there is free alcohol for you. Cheers.