FORT Koffee Klatch

[Newfherder]

Top this story on not splitting checks:

On my wedding day, the plan was that my fiancee (now ex) and I would work a half day, go to lunch at our favorite restaurant, and the wedding was in the late afternoon (civil ceremony at the courthouse.) Word got out at the office as to where we were going to lunch, and pretty soon the whole office, about eight extra people, invited themselves along. That was OK, sort of an office celebration, or so we thought. It turned out that WE got stuck with the whole check, to the tune of about $250. Adding salt to the wound, at the end of the meal one of the then-partners had to ask what the occasion was. AND to add insult to injury, I had to take the half-day off without pay since I had used up all of my vacation time. Now that I'm the HMFIC*, I try to be MUCH more generous with employees!

*Head Mother (something) In Charge

[Lois Lane]

It turned out that WE got stuck with the whole check, to the tune of about $250. Adding salt to the wound, at the end of the meal one of the then-partners had to ask what the occasion was. AND to add insult to injury, I had to take the half-day off without pay since I had used up all of my vacation time. Now that I'm the HMFIC*, I try to be MUCH more generous with employees

ohmigod!!! That's horrible! And let me guess, they didn't bring gifts either, did they? Talk about tactless! Oneo f the partners should've picked up the tab and said, "Congratulations." That would've been the classy thing to do.

[PGM35]

Top this story on not splitting checks:

On my wedding day, the plan was that my fiancee (now ex) and I would work a half day, go to lunch at our favorite restaurant, and the wedding was in the late afternoon (civil ceremony at the courthouse.) Word got out at the office as to where we were going to lunch, and pretty soon the whole office, about eight extra people, invited themselves along. That was OK, sort of an office celebration, or so we thought. It turned out that WE got stuck with the whole check, to the tune of about $250. Adding salt to the wound, at the end of the meal one of the then-partners had to ask what the occasion was. AND to add insult to injury, I had to take the half-day off without pay since I had used up all of my vacation time. Now that I'm the HMFIC*, I try to be MUCH more generous with employees!

*Head Mother (something) In Charge

Speaking of dinners and bosses....my boss gave me a dinner out with my b/f for my birthday. He didn't give me a gift certificate but said, go out to dinner on me and bring me the receipt for reimbursement. Well, I am agonizing over where to go, how much (or how little) to spend, etc. I mean, I don't want to take advantage of him but it is a birthday present and my boss is well...sort of "well off", and I know he doesn't mean for us to get McDonald's or even Chili's/Applebee's/TGIF's...I am thinking he means a "real nice" restaurant, one I wouldn't go to all the time, but one to celebrate my bday. Anyway, since I was so worried about it, I asked a friend, what should I do and she says, just ask him. I was horrified at first but hey, how else will I know. So I did, and he said, just go anywhere you want, spend what you want, but don't go crazy and buy the Dom Perignon at $250 a bottle or anything but have a nice time.

I think we are going to go here. http://www.coolrivercafe.com/Austin/

[roseskid]

I think we are going to go here. http://www.coolrivercafe.com/Austin/

That looks like a great place, and I was wondering what time should I meet you?

[misskitty]

So much goes on in here....my goodness!

LoisLane: I'm sorry I misdirected my quote....this one's for you Ewwwww!

PGM35, that looks like a wonderful, cozy, romantic restaurant...I hope you really enjoy yourself! What a nice thing for your boss to do!

Newfherder: My jaw dropped reading your story. How utterly AWFUL. And thanks for explaining the acronym

angelic_one: ooo, that's a nasty problem to have. I'd go with the police visit first and if you keep a log of when the kids to come onto your property, maybe the police will set up there one night to charge them when they least expect it. Or at least scare the B-jeezus out of them!

Lois Lane: Dinners out can certainly be ruined because of insensitive friends at billing time. I don't go out much any more, but when I used to, I always ended up paying sooo much more than what I ever ate or drank. Some people, in a group, would order whatever, not keep track, and expect to split a huge bill of which 75% is theirs. Sorry. Can't afford to do that. I would agree to offer to buy PIZZA next time you meet up with that couple. A fancier dinner would go back to splitting it.

With some friends I might see often, I can do the I'll buy this time, you buy next time, if it's a cake and coffee thing or light lunch. For dinner, if everyone splits the appetizers and have roughly the same thing, then dividing up the bill can be just fine. It really depends on your friends I guess. Some are very fair, and others not so fair when it comes to the bill.

I even know of a man who would gather all the cash at a group gettogether. People pay for their drinks and snacks and throw in extra for the "birthday" person and tip. Knowing there is plenty there including the tip, he pockets the cash and then pays with a credit card. He leaves a $5 tip on a large bill for a big group. He actually MAKES money and doesn't pay his share at all. And he knows this, and he plans it. And he doesn't feel guilty one bit.

[MRD]

ANgelic one-have your hubby go buy and post NO Trespassing signs on the property. Then start calling the police.

My husband suggest a couple of well placed chains across the path down low. Said that will stop the ATV's, but they need to be strong chains.

We had a kid in our neighborhood that was doing stuff to our house and eveyrone else's. mY husband caught him alone one day and said to him:

"Look you a**hole, if I catch you doing ANYTHING in this neighborhood again, I will beat your A**. I don't care if you are 14 and I'm 35, I will do it when you least expect it, when you don't know its coming and in a way that you cannot prove it is me and you won't be able to do what you've been doing for a good long while." The kid actually would cross the street when he got to our house. My husband can be pretty scary when he tries. Would he have done it to the kid? Probably not, but nothing else was working, so he got in his face and the problems stopped. (I also think my husband has watched too many Clint Eastwood movies. )

We have a friend that is an arson investigator. So he's a fireman with police training and arrest powers and wears a gun. He had a similar problem and he told the kid "the police won't help you. I AM the police and if I catch you doing that again, just know that I have a gun and shovel and I'm not afraid to use either one!!!!" HIs problems stopped too. I think it helped that he had on his official uniform with badge and gun belt and he's also about 6'2" and really BIG.

But I'd definetly go with the no trespassing signs. I know here that if the property is posted, then the police will do more about problems like yours.

[Newfherder]

Would he have done it to the kid? Probably not

That's the whole key--keep the little punk guessing.

[MRD]

That's the whole key--keep the little punk guessing.

exactly newf and I've always maintained that a good dose of healthy fear is what is lacking in so many kids these days. When I was a kid, I was afraid to get in trouble at school and I was afraid of what my parents would do if I misbehaved. Now not that my parents were tyrants and I needed to call Social services on them. I wasn't terrorized, but i was afraid to get in trouble because I didn't like the punishment.

And if you think about it, society has laws. We all know that if we break the laws there are consequences and most of us are scared of those consequences (like a nice fear of going to jail!), so we follow the law. So why should kids be any different. They should be afraid to get in trouble because of the consequences. Only problem is there aren't any anymore and kids have nothing to fear.

[Rattus]

That is exactly the problem, myrosiedog - there are no consequences. I have a friend who is a teacher and pretty much any horrendous thing that one of the students does will result in the parent(s) coming in and claiming up and down that their precious is an angel and the school had better not do anything to disturb one hair on junior's head or they will be calling their lawyer, blah, blah, blah. I am baffled as to why these people can't see what entitled monsters they're raising. And sadly, our aged lives are going to be held in the hands of these vicious, self-important creeps.

[angelic_one2002]

Thanks for all of the advice..and I agree with you, myrosiedog. Kids these days just have no fear, and in some of them, it's an "I dare you" type of attitude. Well, the no Trespassing signs have been posted, and mr. angelic put up a barricade across the lane where these kids cross to trespass. Pretty sad you have to do this on your property..but if not, then I feel they will start vandalizing the property. When mr angelic told the kid he didnt want him using his lane as a road, the kid just stared at him with daggers in his eyes. Next step WILL be the authorities. We're not messing around with these punk hoodlums.