The older we get the once popular bar-hopping, dragging someone home at 2 a.m. and then getting up at 7 a.m. for work or church are vague memories. Now we’ve been and gone by 11 p.m. In many cases we have given up the bars altogether, usually due to the hour, but far too often, we object to being invisible.
We are not ignored; “ignore” is a conscious action. I’m sure when we were young we were far friendlier to the older guys. To tell the truth, now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing any seniors there. Maybe they were invisible too. Hmm.
There are lots of daytime or early evening activities for us in San Diego. Get away from the idiot box and venture forth with someone to a movie or one of the many wonderful theaters here.
One of the most popular activities is sharing a meal in a restaurant. A wild suggestion, don’t wait for the phone to ring; do it yourself. Invite some friend(s) to join you for lunch. If you wish, mention going Dutch so no one will get the wrong idea that just because you invited them, you will pay. Of course if that is the case, great, but make it clear.
However, sad to say, the end of the meal can bring tension, dissent and the inevitable hissy fit. Why? The age-old problem. How to divide the bill.
My goodness, what a to-do. Pens come out, calculators, frantic scribbling on napkins, tablecloths and shirt cuffs. How to figure the tax and tip of one’s own meal? It is not difficult.
Simply put, add up the cost of what you consumed and add 1/4 of that. That’s it. Can it really be that easy? Yes. The tax is 8 percent and the tip is 15 percent. Added together we get 23 percent.
For the sake of friendship and world peace, let’s be big spenders and go for a huge 17 percent tip and we get 25 percent. Remember that 25 percent is the same as one fourth. So divide by four, round that off, add it to your food and drink cost and everyone will be happy.
Note this does not cover those foolish enough to “share” a bottle of wine of which one person had one glass and two had two and a fourth “only had a sip.” I leave that extra charge to those far wiser than I.
