New Year’s Eve

Day 91

“Did you mean to leave this tip?”

I’m looking at the receipt from New Year’s Eve out with friends.  As a party of eight, the restaurant added an automatic 20 percent gratuity.  Chaz added an additional 20 percent on top of the total amount giving the waiter a 45 percent tip of our total bill. 

“They added gratuity,” I say. 

“Hum, I didn’t see that.  Maybe that’s why he brought us extra champagne.” 

You think?

I’m choosing to not get upset but instead think of the mistake as a random act of kindness to a man who spent the night with us instead of his family.  He brought us food.  He refilled our drinks.  He watched us count down to midnight and kiss our husbands into the new year. 

If I still had that long-ago finished glass of champagne, I’d raise it to toast.  Here’s to you, our waiter.  Happy 2012!