I worked for a bank for a bit and that's how it worked for me as well.

Lisa, you up for cooking lobster? That might be the easiest. That or a hotel or harbor resturant.

Yeah i'm not up for anything tonight except getting in my jammies and lounging on my chaise.

I could have thought of a good option if they'd let me know like a week ago. And prepared mentally for going out tonight instead of staying in and relaxing.

We can get advances of up to 75% of the expected travel costs at my workplace, if we're going overseas or for an extended period somewhere domestic. We have people traveling for months at a time, though, and having them cover that themselves would be pretty onerous.

Otherwise it's haul out your credit card and send in a check request. Luckily we're working off of government per diem rates, so I don't have to hold on to receipts for every Diet Coke I buy at the airport.

I kinda like the way our corporate credit card works. As long as you expense your items right away, the company will pay the charges to the cc company. You are only liable if you do not submit your expenses within 30 days - then you have to pay the cc company AND expense your items before 60 days. After 60 days, you have to write a letter explaining why you are so pathetic and chance not being reimbursed.

It encourages people to be much prompter with submitting their expense details and you don't have to hassle with reimbursements.

This was my actual point. This woman is calling in to a show where people are trying to get out of debt; where, in fact, many are being crushed by their debt and can barely pay their monthly bills. I'm sure the listeners have a lot of sympathy for a doctor with no school loans or other debt, whose house is on a 15 year-fixed mortgage that they apparently could pay off early if they wanted to.

Oh, of course, clearly that woman was ridiculous and should STFU on every level.

I could have thought of a good option if they'd let me know like a week ago. And prepared mentally for going out tonight instead of staying in and relaxing.

Yeah, that's annoying. Can you make them figure out dinner and then have them over for hot cocoa in your jammies or something? (Note: for me, short-notice guests would be way worse than short-notice restaurant suggestions, so I'm just throwing this out there as something that may be possible for other people.)

I can't believe I've actually found something my company is decent about (in that we have real corporate cards that we are not liable for). No one should have to float their employer's bills.

should STFU

Speaking of this, did anyone else see last night's TDS? Jon addressed Joe Biden's little attempt at a lame joke about Justice Roberts screwing up the swearing in, and President Obama (I just love saying this!) stepped up to him, tapped him on the elbow, and basically let him know nonverbally to STFU, which is the phrase that Jon used. Obama's STFU Face is just a tad bit sterner than his Serious Face.

Can you make them figure out dinner and then have them over for hot cocoa in your jammies or something? (Note: for me, short-notice guests would be way worse than short-notice restaurant suggestions, so I'm just throwing this out there as something that may be possible for other people.)

Oh, yeah, short-notice guests is just as bad tonight. Esp since one is a complete stranger and my house hasn't been cleaned since before I went to Florida two weeks ago (see also, my hair! not washed in days not weeks).

My sister-in-law found a place that's on the other side of town so I just told my brother that I wasn't up for fancy dinner tonight but if they wanted to meet for drinks beforehand in my neighborhood (which is 5 minutes from the train station where they are picking up their friend) that would be fine. Honestly I wouldn't feel bad at all except that I don't want to miss an opportunity to see my niece.

OMG. I'm listening to yesterday's Dave Ramsey podcast and a woman just called in worried that with "the new administration" there will be universal health care and her physician husband's income will be "greatly affected"

At my last doctor visit (primary-care doctor), I asked him -- jokingly -- if, now that Obama was elected, his office was ready for the transition to universal health care.

I don't remember his first reply, because it was a smart-ass reply, since he knew I was kidding. But then he said, "You know what I want to know? I agree that everyone deserves health care, but think about the sheer numbers of uninsured people right now.

"When universal health care kicks in, where are we going to get enough doctors to treat them all?"

I had never thought about that, but it's a good point. And kind of scary.

My sister-in-law found a place that's on the other side of town so I just told my brother that I wasn't up for fancy dinner tonight but if they wanted to meet for drinks beforehand in my neighborhood (which is 5 minutes from the train station where they are picking up their friend) that would be fine.

Perfect compromise.