Protocol...

I went to Starbucks today. I had been going there often when I first moved here as kind of a homesick sort of thing, but since Webster got here, and I started paying for Webster, I was less homesick, and my coffee money is going to cat food.

But I went in this morning before work because I haven't been feeling so hot, and there's just something about strong coffee and espresso that makes me feel better. I was standing in line and all of a sudden in through the door to stand directly behind me is someone who is obviously a Ranger in the Regiment. Rangers are distinctive, even if you can't see their oh-so-hot tan berets. Their unit patches denote that they are part of a much smaller group of people. So I know this guy was at Ft. Lewis for a while and now is stationed here in the regiment. Small world. He probably knows Ranger Man. So I'm ogling his shoulders, trying to be discrete, but it was pre-coffee, so I'm sure I didn't do much good... and I'm thinking to myself that I should talk to him and tell him why I'm ogling. But, what do I say?

I'm not a wife, and not knowing this guy, I don't know how he feels about girlfriends. That was actually the first thought that went through my mind. I didn't feel like being belittled or trampified in my pre-caffeinated state. But then, I also am used to Mr. security conscious Ranger Man, who really is made largely uncomfortable talking about his job as a Ranger with others. So, I also didn't want to do that for him, in his pre-caffeinated state. Plus- what would I say, "so, you might know my boyfriend, Mr. Ranger Man" to which he would reply, "Why yes, I do know Mr. Ranger Man, but I haven't seen him around in a few months, where is he?" At which point I would be forced to divulge the location of Super-Secret-Army Land, which always makes me slightly uncomfortable, and I don't know how much this guy knows about Ranger Man's job.

Gah! So, obviously, I didn't say anything. I ogled. He put the tan beret on and I melted and thought "ahhh, so unfair!" and he opened the door for me and we both left. I called Ranger Man, who did indeed know the man behind me in line, and didn't seem to realize the conundrum of to talk or not to talk to the man behind me in line that I had been placed in.

Oh yeah, and to compound the situation, the guy out-ranked Ranger Man, so I was even more intimidated.

I think I'm glad that in that situation, everything can be blamed on the fact that it occurred BC- before coffee, so if I accidentally didn't follow the unwritten protocol, I have an out.