But, also, why is a three-year-old messing with GTA unsupervised anyway?

Because no one but manufacturers is responsible for what people see.

There are a lot of restaurants here that don't take cards at all.

I guess bringing you the check is like hurrying you out of there so they can seat sopmeone else? Because whenever a waiter brings me my check they say "No hurry on this, I'm just leaving it here, take care of it when you're ready". Which works well for me.

The credit card thing I'm not gonna worry about. Most of the places I eat, the total is not enough for the fee to be much (if it's done as a percentage, if it's a per transaction fee the restaurant can tack on a credit card use fee to the bill, or not accept credit cards), and if it's somewhere expensive, I'm sure my overtipping covers the credit card fee. If I have to get cash before I go to dinner, I probably won't be able to impulsively get extra appetizers or dessert, my bill will be lower, and so will the tip (in absolute terms).

Sorry about your throat, msbelle.

Because no one but manufacturers is responsible for what people see.

Yup. It's those damn manufacturers that are giving those kids the $50 it costs to buy the game. Lieberman has been on this crusade for a while.

What makes you think I ordered one?

Call it intuition. Thanks!

I don't think this SOP in most restaurants I've been in.

Yeah, otherwise I'd still be in one somewhere ... I think I ask for the cheque maybe 10% of the time. And only 20% of the times I don't, would I say the cheque was late coming.

msbelle, sounds like you have what meara does. Don't let it get that bad, will you?

Tommy, for some reason it's taken me this long to remember that my star sign is half goat. Now I'm a bit weirded out.

what did meara give ME!!???!!

seriously if it is actually "something", I am gonna give my Dr. what for.

hmm, looks like I will be doing business travel twice in the next two weeks. Fancy.

I don't think this SOP in most restaurants I've been in.

Yeah, the SOP I see most often is the waiter will ask you if you're ready for the check.

seriously if it is actually "something", I am gonna give my Dr. what for.

Maybe just give the "something" to the doctor. Also: Push fluids. Gargle with salt water. REST. And whatnot.

I didn't know about the credit card fee coming out of a waiter's pocket, but I should have. As a small business, I have to pay a not-unsubstantial fee for every credit card transaction my clients make. It's sometimes a painful chunk.

The credit card companies agree with -t, that the ability to use cards attracts customers. What I didn't know before signing up for the service, is that it's 'illegal' (though I suspect that's a strong bit of propoganda on the credit card companies' part) for me to express a preference to my clients for receiving payment by cash or check.

Could that really be legislation?

Finally watched the Bernard Goldberg interview, and I loved it, even if I did end up feeling kind of sorry for the guy after the commercial break because he was just so clearly out of his league.

Last night's was good too, but my Tivo got the guy's name wrong. (Tivo said it was going to be the other Newsweek reporter who's on all the time. Bad Tivo! No biscuit.)

I'm at home today, FINALLY taking one of my summer Fridays off, and electricians are fixing an outlet in my kitchen that's been dead for three months. (My landlord is refinancing, so she's finally getting her ass in gear and fixing all the various things we've mentioned to her. In September we may even get new doors on the bedroom and bathroom to replace the ones that are there now with big holes in them! Exciting!)

msbelle, where are you travelling to?

I ask for the check because I'm not usually a lingerer. Usually I'm an eat, pay, leave kind of girl.