Speaking of holiday spirit, this past weekend we went to the Sinterklaas parade. It’s a Dutch thing, and a really big deal in Rhinebeck. And you know, it is a load of fun. The only drag is the schmucks from Manhattan that come up for the weekend. They crowd the streets with their stinky cigars and their froo-froo mini-dogs, their fur hats and giant boots. Now I know and love a lot of people from Manhattan. It’s certainly not a Manhattan trait. It’s an unfortunate trait shared by a handful of middle aged people who happen to own weekend homes in our area. With their scrupulously detailed Land Rovers, zuo furniture and soy milk. 

The problem is that several of these people have no problem stepping right in front of little kids so they can take iPhone pictures and videos of every single puppet or costumed grumpus in the parade. It’s a shame, because it is a parade for kids and you’d think the adults could at least step back and look over the heads of the children rather than pushing the kids back and standing in front.

Maybe it’s just me.