I have come to the conclusion that some things in life are just plain stupid. And not stupid in a good way. Example: we no longer require gentlemen to wear jackets in our dining room. The world has gone casual, we are in the west and well jackets are often perceived as a formalized oppression. I tell guests this when I talk with them, and tell them again when they arrive. Funny thing is some people actually enjoy wearing jackets and tell me so. So get this. Our first group of hunters arrived and they were youthful, put together and carried themselves with character. As I showed them around last evening I mentioned again that we no longer require jackets in the dining room. They said we brought jackets and want to wear them. Great.
Not really. I get a phone call today from the barn and it has come to the ranch managers attention that the hunters are having a great time, they just do not like being forced to wear a jacket at dinner. WTF!!! I reply with the fact that no one has to wear a jacket and that I have made mention of the fact to the gentlemen. Anyway, I am a bit bent, because hunting season has literally just started and my hopes of making at as seamless as possible are already wanting. I digest the information and in passing make mention to the gentlemen that perhaps I was not clear last evening and that we do not require jackets for meals. Again they said they had wanted to wear jackets and that they had plenty of clean shirts.
OK, so now I feel a bit stupid. Am I making a mountain out of a mole hill. It appears I am putting the darn boulders in place. I call down to the barn and let the ranch manager know I addressed the jacket issue again with our guests.
I just do not know. Life and situations sometimes explode without the help of explosives. Now comes the opportunity to figure out if we really have an issue or if there is just a cloud of smoke.
